Build your own creepy-cool robot dog with this Kickstarter-funded DIY kit
TL;DR: As of May 15, you can take 10% off the Petoi Bittle, a Palm-Sized Robot Dog for STEM, and get it for $296.10 instead of its regular $329.
If you can’t get enough of all the incredibly cool, but definitely just as creepy Boston Dynamics robot dogs, why not try to make your own? Of course, yours won’t be life-size, but with the Petoi Bittle DIY kit, you can build and code a palm-sized robot dog from scratch.
Featured before, the Petoi Bittle is a Kickstarter-funded DIY kit that you assemble like a puzzle, then program to do tricks. The result is an open-source bionic robot dog roughly the size of your hand.
It’s highly programmable with Scratch, C++, and Python, and highly extensible with Raspberry Pi and Arduino. You don’t need to be a professional coder to customize your pup, either — just have the enthusiasm to learn. You’ll build your coding and STEM skills along the way while actually bringing tangible proof of your efforts to life. Rather than sitting and reading a textbook, you’ll have the satisfaction of watching the fruits of your labor walk across your desk and perform tricks. Its legged motion resembles a real animal, too — just like the terrifying Boston Dynamics robots, but in a pint-sized format.
If you need visual proof, here you go:
The open-source platform, called OpenCat, can be adapted for your own purposes so you can run any customized version on your robot dog. You can also share tricks and tips and learn from others in the OpenCat community to teach your pet new skills. Add AI capabilities by mounting a Raspberry Pi chip on it, or customize an Arduino board to coordinate instinctive movements. With endless configurations and capabilities, you’ll certainly never get bored.
The Bittle is designed for kids and adults over age 14, but younger kiddos can play with it under the supervision of an adult. It’s a great way to get the whole family involved in STEM and interested in coding — except for maybe your actual dog.
Mashable readers can snag the robot dog DIY kit for $296.10 with code STEM10 at checkout.
Prices subject to change.
