A Sphero spinoff company has launched a new toy
robot. Called Misty II, it comes from Misty Robotics. It's actually a second
generation robot, as the first one debuted at CES 2018 in January. Misty I was
in beta and limited to a few developers. Misty II is more refined, with a
gray-and-white body and two arms, but it still has those cute cartoon eyes and
a screen for a face. Misty II is not quite for the average consumer, but it is
being pitched at STEM students and tinkerers.
The "programmable robot" is powered by two
Qualcomm Snapdragon processors and runs on Windows IoT Core and Android 7
operating systems. It features a far-field array mic, a 4K camera, support for
Wi-Fi, facial recognition, two speakers, and a load of sensors for mapping and
detecting objects. With these specs, you can download or make your own skills,
via visual block-based programming or JavaScript APIs.
It's capable of recognising people, autonomous
navigation, charging itself on a dock, and more. Misty Robotics' website
suggests you program it to serve as a security patrol guard for your home or
maybe as a playmate for your pet for when you're not home. Misty Robotics said
it's ideal for people who are passionate about robots but lack the skills,
degree, and finances required to become a full-blown roboticist.
Misty Robotics has launched a 30-day crowdfunding
campaign with huge discounts on Misty II. It will retail for US$ 3,200, but if you
grab it now you could save upward of 50 per cent. The company said the robot
should ship by 4 December.
