This $1,299 Robot Dog Plays Soccer, Dances and Can 'Evolve' With AI
(Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET's parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.)
While robot dogs have been around for decades with brands like Sony's Aibo, Hengbot's Sirius robot is putting a particular emphasis on how quickly it can move. The company has been showing this off in videos that demonstrate it dancing to piano music or shaking hands next to an actual dog. The Sirius robot has a total of 14 axis across its legs and head along with proprietary joints named Neurocore that let it move more naturally.
Hengbot says it's also customizable using a "game-like" editor, featuring the ability to customize the robot's personality to be more like specific dogs such as a Corgi, set up different facial reactions to appear on its head or upload voice packs to customize what the robot sounds like.
However Hengbot does note that, because this is a robot after all, the Sirius robot dog is meant primarily for flat indoor surfaces and isn't meant to be played with outside. So while dancing and soccer games (which can be played with an included controller) are fine, the Sirius robot is unlikely to be running up and down the stairs of a house. The robot's battery will also let it run for 40 to 60 minutes when moving or one to two hours when standing still and Hengbot says it takes about an hour to recharge. Other specs on Sirius include an 8-megapixel camera used for vision, two USB-C ports used for development and accessories
Hengbot's Sirius robot dog can be set up with controllers and a VR headset to play a soccer game.
Hengbot
Using a network connection, the Sirius robot develops it's personality with an integration with large language models like OpenAI, which it also uses to process voice commands. This can include asking it to dance, sit or to act like other animals like a cat. Hengbot says the dog itself does not collect data but also advises that the Sirius is designed more for adults who would like to use some of the more creative features that the dog is capable of.
And that distinction is important, as AI is still prone to hallucinations and other mistakes. For instance, last year my colleague Bridget Carey tested a ChatGPT-enabled teddy bear named Poe made by the Los Angeles-based toy maker Skyrocket. The bear created stories using prompts within the app but at launch its vocabulary was rather verbose for young audiences. While Hengbot's Sirius robot will primarily be dancing, barking and moving about, Hengbot does say that the Sirius robot is eventually intended to integrate with a wider creative platform meant for hosting and sharing different projects.
The Sirius robot is available to preorder on Hengbot's website and it's expected to be available this fall.
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