Israeli software developer Shlomo Schwarcz noticed that his nine-year-old son is already getting bored with his iPad. His son’s latest interest? He loves to program apps.
Inspired by his son, Schwarcz decided to create a robot that would help people hone their programming skills.
Not only is Robit kid-friendly, but it’s also affordable for cash-strapped parents. It will sell for just under $400, about a quarter of the price of other popular humanoid robots like Pepper.
“Basically we wanted to make him small and cost under $400, so that anyone can buy it,” Schwarcz says. “It would use computer vision and understand all your commands.”
Created with Schwarcz’s brother Elazar, a mechanical engineer, Robit stands about a foot tall and delivers everything from a cup of water to a friendly “good morning.” It’ll track down missing house keys and keep tabs on your health. It understands what snacks you pull out of the fridge in the middle of the night and even tells you the nutritional value.
“The future is robots,” Schwarcz says, “and you’ll use them just like you use your smartphone.”
The marketing team behind Robit, based in WeWork Dubnov, recently announced the launch of an Indiegogo campaign on February 10. The goal is to raise at least $50,000 to cover the manufacturing cost, shipping, and delivery.
Dan Eblagon, founder of The Marketing Partner, says that for him the appeal being a part of the project is that it’s unique.
“There are a lot of software companies in Israel building apps and doing programming,” says Eblagon, “but not too many are in robotics.”
Early bird backers can order Robit for $329. After that, each robot will sell for $349 during the campaign. An additional $40 gets you an attachable missile launcher that shoots plastic toy darts. Other accessories include a gas, smoke or temperature detector and a tray that holds food and drinks. But Robit doesn’t have arms, so it stops short of feeding you your meal.