A desktop companion. An open-source education platform. An AI-powered robotics lab. Doly is all that and more. Technology startup Limibit out of Ontario, Canada, has launched on Kickstarter to bring the cute lil buddy bot to life.
Limibit's founder, Levent Erenler, describes Doly as a "fusion of companionship, education, and technological innovation." It immediately aims for your heart with a pair of googly eyes out front that express emoji-like animations, or can display information such as weather reports or serve as a digital clock.
The desktop robot comes with a cooked in personality that grows and evolves as users interact with it as it motors around on two tank treads. It can raise one of its arms for a fist bump, or both to celebrate success – and each robotic limb ends in multi-color LEDs and a magnetic mount, for attaching fun accessories.
It's powered by Raspberry Pi CM4 processing brains and a Linux-based operating platform, though has been designed to be open source and ready for customization by users of "all ages and skill levels" – with tinkerers able to upgrade RAM or swap out Compute Modules is desired.
A speech recognition system responds to natural language for voice control and interaction, while 2-W stereo speakers enable audible responses in a variety of voice model options. There's an onboard 8-megapixel camera too, which can capture memorable moments, allow users to look at the world from Doly's point of view via a paired mobile device, and give the roving bot the power to remember users and their names.
Capacitive touch sensors have been installed on outer surfaces, so Doly will know when it's being stroked, petted or nudged – with the eye animations responding appropriately. A bunch of I/O ports are also available to cater to expansion experimentation, and the base design can even be adapted using 3D-printed add-ons, such as the crane arm shown below.
Doly works as a standalone educational/companion bot out of the box – with local processing of AI algorithms for privacy peace of mind – but there's a mobile app available for deeper dives and settings management. Future roboticists can get their coding hands dirty through a Blockly-based interface, though more advanced languages such as C++ and Python are also supported. And a Software Development Kit is also being offered, to give users access to sensor data, controls, eye animations, drive controls, AI capabilities and more.
Rounding out the key features are Bluetooth 5.0 and dual-band Wi-Fi, it comes with a charging unit that it rolls up to and backs onto when its 2,600-mAh battery is running low, and it sports proximity sensors to prevent a tumble off the edge of a tabletop along with ToF sensors for obstacle avoidance.
There's also the promise of subscription-free product lifetime over-the-air updates at no additional cost, and the company is also working on ChatGPT integration to "open up a new realm of interactive and engaging experiences."
Doly was actually first launched on Kickstarter back in 2022, but feedback from backers prompted a redesign. The "reinvented" companion bot has now returned to the platform, where pledge levels currently start at US$289. The usual crowdfunding cautions apply, but if all goes to plan with the already funded campaign, Limibit estimates that shipping will start from August. The video below has more.
Source: Limibit