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Turning your smartphone into a fully functioning robot is no longer restricted to the realms of your imagination.
(Screenshot by CBSi)
Enter SmartBot, a wheeled mounting device for a phone that lets it roam around flat surfaces in your home or office, performing any number of tasks. Its creator, Overdrive Robotics, said the SmartBot uses the front- and rear-facing cameras to help it navigate around objects.
A range of apps are currently available for the SmartBot, which can turn your phone into a real robot that recognises your voice, automatically roam around to take photos of a party, or even respond to snake charmer-like commands from a flute. On the more serious side, the bot can be used as a remote surveillance device with wireless control, and also supports Arduino-style dev boards.
The wheeled robot comes with a GPS, microphone and accelerometer, communicating with the mounted phone via near-field communication (NFC).
The SmartBot is cross-platform, so it works the same, regardless of your phone’s operating system. At the moment, it is compatible with Windows Phone, iOS and Android devices up to 5 inches.
Is all this talk of smartphone autonomy making it feel like your money’s burning a hole in your pocket? Grab a SmartBot right now in Europe for €160, or €133.78 for international shipping, available from April.
