Hello, I am Rongzhong writing the post in a Dongguan factory. Two years after Nybble's launch, I'm now launching a new robot model, the Bittle dog, on Kickstarter! This time, I'm putting more effort into making a polished product and improving user experience. It's a much more complicated task and is 90% done! I will need your support to finalize the design, kick-off mass production, and build a team to deliver the orders.
You may discover all the exciting features of Bittle on my Kickstarter page. I'm adding more technical details here to discuss the design process. In the end, I'll unveil some background stories of the project. It might be common knowledge for people in the industry, but it's a brand-new adventure away from my original academic path. As a maker who both DIYed a product and bootstrapped a startup, I hope my story will help our community members push their project to the next level.
Petoi Bittle is a tiny but powerful robot that can play tricks like real animals. We fine-tuned every bit to fit agile maneuverability into a palm-sized robot pet. You can bring Bittle to life by assembling its puzzle-like frame and downloading our demo codes on GitHub. You can also teach it new skills to win prizes in our community challenges. Bittle makes a perfect tool for learning, teaching, researching, or a surprising gift to impress your family and friends. However, Bittle is not a toy for small kids. We recommend parental guidance to appreciate its rich content and avoid damage or injury.
Evolving with an open-source gene, Bittle is an open platform to fuse multiple makers' gadgets into one organic system. With our customized Arduino board coordinating all instinctive and sophisticated movements, you can clip various sensors to add perception. You could also inject artificial intelligence capabilities by mounting a Raspberry Pi or other AI chips via wired/wireless connections. Bittle is the second product of OpenCat, sibling of Nybble, Backed by a worldwide user group, you can find many tutorials and project ideas on the Internet. By posting on our forum or social media (Instagram/Twitter @PetoiCamp), you can contribute to the community or make your wishes heard. We are always drawing the blueprint for futuristic robots!
Bittle is a palm-sized robot that moves with four legs rather than wheels. Legged motion gives it more freedom to navigate unstructured terrains and expresses the joy of life whenever it moves. Such dynamic maneuverability was only seen on a few luxury robots from the best labs or tycoon companies previously. We came up with a grassroots solution to simplify the system to make it affordable and mass-producible. Bittle is a compact system of five major components: body frame, actuator, electronics, battery, and the software to coordinate all the hardware to perform varied tasks. It’s 20cm x 11cm x 11cm in dimension. It weighs less than 280g but can carry up to 450g cargo under its belly. With proper programming and calibration, It can run faster than two body lengths per second.
We designed Bittle's interlocking frame as a 3D puzzle with very few screws involved. Most body parts are symmetric for simplicity and aesthetics. It's a pleasure to assemble and disassemble Bittle for teaching or maintenance. On average, it takes about one hour to put together the body from scratch. I have made a short assembling animation and will shoot an in-person tutorial before Bittle's delivery.
The prototype was initially made with 3D printing to validate geometry, interface, and functionalities. 3D printing works well for solid shapes. But when it comes to internal and delicate structure, some problems will arise. The fused layers cannot create a uniformed strength. And it will crack where elasticity is required. The internal ceiling will always be rough, and its thickness is not consistent. Printing will take about three days, and post-processing can take several hours and introduce more errors in critical dimensions. So, we decided that it had to be made with injection molds.
