For some folks, having a pet isn’t an option. There are many reasons for this, including allergies or busy work schedules. Those who can’t have a traditional pet often still want to have a four-legged friend by their side. The folks at Petoi are trying to make having a quadruped friend a reality for more people. Bittle is a palm-sized robotic dog that can learn tricks and accompany you everywhere, just like a normal pet, but without the vet bills, carpet messes, and other consequences of a furry friend. Bittle provides exceptional learning opportunities in the world of robotics and programming and makes an excellent gift option for kinetic learners.
Not Quite a Toy
While Bittle might appear to be a children’s toy to some, it’s quite an advanced invention. For a child to get the maximum experience out of Bittle, they’ll need parental guidance. Bittle is excellent for all ages, but because of how advanced much of the setup is and programming, teenagers and adults may get the best use. When you receive your Bittle, it will be in a kit, unassembled. It should take approximately an hour to assemble your Bittle.
Once you’ve assembled your new robotic dog, you can teach it to do tricks. Bittle doesn’t learn tricks with a treat; it learns tricks via code. You can start by downloading demo codes on GitHub. Once you begin to know how the codes work, you can develop your own inside CodeCraft, a graphical coding environment for Bittle. If this seems high-tech, that’s because it is. Don’t worry though, the folks at Petoi collaborated with TinkerGen, the creators of CodeCraft, to offer you a curriculum so you can learn all about how to program in CodeCraft.
This feature is an exceptional learning opportunity to learn how to program with real-world practice and examples on your new quadruped pet! For additional support, there’s also a forum on the Petoi website. You can explore all these resources now before the tiny robotic dog ever arrives at your door, so you’ll be ready to hit the ground running, or Bittle will, with your new programming skills! Once you’ve got a handle on the codes, you can connect them and Bittle to your smartphone via Bluetooth and control Bittle using the touch of a finger.
Durability
Bittle, the robotic dog, is a pretty durable little pet. Each piece of the body frame was 3D-printed with injection-molded plastic and went through hundreds of iterations for the utmost accuracy. Bittle comes with the ability to process sensory data and make decisions by itself to keep it from harm. Bittle’s design keeps it soft and pliable; it allows the leg joints to bend and protect the inner gears. Bittle usually survives frequent collisions and minor falls; if something does fail on your new friend, it will be the weak link in the chain and easy to replace or repair so you can have your friend follow you around again in no time.
The OpenCat and Bittle communities are vast and have lots of codes, modifications, and ways to make Bittle work for you, which is a serious bonus on top of your purchase. Bittle’s lithium-ion battery slides into its undercarriage for up to an hour of uninterrupted adventures, movement, and walking. You can order additional batteries for more playtime.
The Bittle kit is currently live on Kickstarter for $250, which is a reasonably inexpensive option compared to other robotic pets.
Bittle is small but also allows you the joys of assembling it yourself. Suppose your home is ready for this tiny robotic dog, head on over to the Kickstarter page to back the campaign. Your new not-so-furry friend will be in your home in January 2021.