Action Camera + Personal Assistant + Robot = PLEN Cube

Back in 2015, the PLENGoer Robotics team launched the world’s first 3D-printable open source humanoid, PLEN2. This friendly and customizable bot would go on to raise over $65,000. Now, its creators are looking to crowdfund their latest project: PLEN Cube.

So, what does PLEN Cube do? Perhaps a better question is, what doesn’t the PLEN Cube do? This palm-sized robotic helper — which uses Intel’s Joule sytem on module (SoM) for processing — comes in the form of a cube small enough to carry around with you, and acts as an HD camera, personal assistant, and home automation controller.

Combining these capabilities in a portable form-factor would be interesting enough, but the PLEN Cube can also physically move its camera/head via four onboard motors. This gives it the capability to interact with the user in unique ways, and can allow it to stabilize video, take panoramic photographs, and even track a person’s position.

PLEN Cube can be activated by voice, gesture, and your smartphone. It is equipped with multiple “outputs” including the ability to play music, display information, and connect to smart home appliances. You can customize PLEN Cube’s behavior using IFTTT as well.

If all of that wasn’t enough, PLENGoer Robotics plans to publish APIs and 3D models so that others can expand upon the device as they see fit! Does this sound like the smart companion for you? Head over to Kickstarter for more info and to back the project!