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New Atlas·

🤖Robot Uses Old Phone as Brain for $400

A $400 robot runs on an old phone

TL;DR

Researchers built a 48.3 cm tall, 1.8 kg biped robot that uses an old phone for its brain, costing around $400. The robot can walk, follow people, and stand up from lying face down.

Researchers created a 48.3 cm tall, 1.8 kg biped robot that uses an old phone as its brain, costing around $400. The robot can walk, follow people, and stand up from lying face down. This opens up robotics research to a wider audience, making it accessible for education and tinkering. The robot uses a 2017 Honor 9 or prepaid Android phones, runs reinforcement learning, and has 13 low-cost servo motors. It's open source and costs roughly $400 excluding the smartphone.

Robot Uses Old Phone as Brain for $400 — New Atlas

Key Points

1

Robot is 48.3 cm tall, 1.8 kg, with 13 low-cost servo motors.

2

Uses an old phone for brain, costing around $400 excluding smartphone.

3

Can walk, follow people, and stand up from lying face down.

4

Runs reinforcement learning, open source, and costs roughly $400.

5

Phone talks to onboard computer over Wi-Fi, relaying commands to motors.

Why It Matters

If you're tinkering with robotics or looking to teach robotics, this $400 biped bot running on an old phone is a game-changer. It opens up research and education to a wider audience, making robotics more accessible. The open-source nature means anyone can build and modify it, fostering innovation.

roboticsopen-sourceeducationresearchtinkering

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