Ubo Pod Launches on Kickstarter

AI assistant devices are hitting the market at a blistering pace that none of us can keep up with, but I have noticed a concerning trend: a complete lack of user — and even developer — control. I’ve been following the development of Ubo Pod for quite a while now and it is clear that it is a different kind of device that gives both users and developers true freedom. And now you finally have the opportunity to get an Ubo Pod device by backing the Kickstarter campaign.

Ubo Pod is a Raspberry Pi-based AI assistant device packed with hardware for useful interactions. When I first reported on Ubo Pod last year, I was most excited by the way its interface would simplify deployment. Instead of forcing users to resort to a complicated web-based setup, the built-in screen and buttons would let them configure everything directly through the device. But the AI assistant landscape has changed dramatically since then and Ubo Pod’s features make even more sense now.

Ubo Pod isn’t tied to any specific AI model or software ecosystem. Rather, it is a hardware platform with a core Ubo App (written in Python) that exposes its API to whatever software the developer would like to incorporate. Want to build a Rust-based home automation server and let users interact with that through a Google Gemini AI assistant? You can do that, because Ubo Pod gives you complete control. From a user perspective, it will be easy to install software packages that give Ubo Pod any desired capability.

Inside the attractive Ubo Pod enclosure, there is a stack of hardware modules designed to interface with a Raspberry Pi 4 Model B or a Raspberry Pi 5. The hardware includes a seven-button keypad, a 1.54” color TFT display, dual stereo microphones, stereo speakers, an RGB LED light ring, a 5MP camera (with privacy cover), an infrared transmitter and receiver, a temperature sensor, an ambient light sensor, and a 32GB microSD card for storage (upgraded NVMe SSD cards also available).

Ubo Pod’s mechanical components, PCBs, and software stack are all open source. In fact, you can try the Ubo Core application right now if you have a compatible Raspberry Pi handy. But by backing the Kickstarter campaign, you get all of that great hardware in a nice enclosure at a reasonable price.

If you’d like to back the Kickstarter campaign, you have until November 7th to do so. The Ubo Pro 4 – Launch Day Special is $109. Rewards should ship between December and March.