Ha - Ian took my entire presentation from pukacheckakckacakka and my talks about science fiction robots coming to life and attempted to copy ezrobot cute.

That's flattering and great validation when there's copy cats of something great we've created. As a community, be proud that we've influenced others!

Obviously Ian is checking our forum - so HI THERE IAN! You're welcome for the influence. Keep up the good work!

the robot is missing something,lets see hhhmmmmmmmmm ah yes ez robot, overhaul.

Well....crazy...I guess they have alot of money behind them since they created Sphero, but that didn't stop them from pre selling for manufacturing...$230,000 in 8 hours with 30 days to go and a $350,000 goal! Truly a low risk for manufacturing. I'd wish them luck, but they don't need any.

Misty doesn't do what we need. Misty you have to program (Well that is 0.01% of the planet). Misty I can't pull apart and build my own robot. I can just stick a 3D printed part on. I am not sure what misty is but I know what it isn't

Smoke and mirrors... where is the DIY kit so I can throw it in my inMoov? I will give them indoor navigation but that's it...

@DJSures: I just thought it odd (shocking!) that the "pitch" was so like EZ-Robot.

@fxrtst: considering Sphero did BB-8, I'm sure they're well funded (unless Ian quit the group to start his own company). That pitch video must have cost a pretty penny (did Fred Barton and Kevin Burns get paid for using Robby & B9, or was that considered "public domain" footage? He he he )

I'll admit, Misty is cute. But with some 3D skills and a printer almost anyone can make a cute robot. For the $1500 (half price!) entry level a builder could make one heck of an original robot using EZ-B.

I also think that EZ-B has the advantage of versatility - more than one member has shown how a number of modular components can expand a robot's capabilities without having to rework the entire operating program.

I wish someone could get hold of a Misty and see if that arduino backpack could be swapped out for an EZ-B.

EDIT: I just spent the last 30 minutes checking out Misty's specs. I initially thought she was about the size of an Omnibot 200 - but she's a petite 14" high; about the size of an Omibot 5402.

All her capabilities have been done on robots by people here: recognition, conversation, mobility, object avoidance...

I'd say we were a couple light years ahead of her.

Yup. EZ Robots was so far ahead of their time when founded. When I show videos of Alan from like 4 years ago and what he is capable of, people don't believe it. But I have a time stamp on the youtube videos to prove it.

Everyone now uses the same "speaks to you" and " listens to you" and carries a soda around...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

My son challenged me to build a wireless robot after showing my grandkids my old tethered robot operated on a Commodore 64. I first became aware of EZ Robot about 5 years ago, and I can't believe the advancements. What was available then and today, have allowed me to build robots I could only think about for years. The EZ Robot kit and amazing software allow me the option to build what and how I want. My grandkids also love EZ Robot, a perfect learning platform. JD and Six also have been a welcome addition to my robot fun. Keep up this great work EZ Robot, it is appreciated.

Personally, I think it is great that more companies are trying to come to market with robots and robot kits. Except for the price, this one looks interesting to me. More of a turn-key solution than EZ-B, but I think there is a market for that. and competition drives innovation.

We have been talking about self charging solutions that can be done with EZ-Robot for years, and other than using Roomba as a base, I think only two DIY'ers have reported any working solutions, and they took a lot of skill to put together. Similarly, true autonomous navigation (probably using Lidar, although they weren't clear) is something many of us want but the tools for doing it ourselves take a high level of skill, and that to some extent certainly explains the cost. I have been looking at the Neato D7 vacuum, not as a development platform, just a as a vacuum, and it has excellent navigation and self docking, but costs over $800, so just those two features alone help to justify the high price of the Misty.

(I also love my Sphero Mini. Best cat toy ever....).

I wish them well.

Alan

My thoughts mostly echo Alan's. I don't see them as competition to EZ-Robot, like Alan said they are making a turn-key robotics platform and hoping to entice developers to develop things and create an active community for the platform and that specific area in my mind is the only area that would have overlap with EZ-Robot.

But I think that whole concept or business model now of "Here's my platform, here's the community portal, come on guys and gals, buy this robot and develop apps for it! YEA!" is what everyone is shooting for, like their very well shot video made the point, if you make the system open and welcoming people will want to develop on it.

The community of people and developers EZ-Robot has brought together and community apps both in way of Project Files and Plugins not to mention knowledge sharing is what these other communities want to have. And EZ-Robot and DJ was able to accomplish this years ahead of anyone else, it's really amazing to me!

They met their goal and then some in a single day. Impressive.

@thetechguru - I use a full-size Sphero to exercise my cats. Lots of fun to have it do a 180 when they're chasing after it!

I don't know if you're looking for anything special in a Roomba, but Neato (we love ours!) goes on sale every so often; most times under $200.

@fxrtst - after watching the video, I was ready to buy one. I wonder if there's any subliminal messages in there. Hmmmm. (BTW, will you be working on GotG 3?)

Quote:

I don't know if you're looking for anything special in a Roomba, but Neato (we love ours!) goes on sale every so often; most times under $200.

The Neato D7 Connected is their latest, and it has some pretty advanced navigation features. Once it maps your floorplan, you can set up virtual "no go" lines in the app without needing to put down the magnetic strips to block off areas.

I had an opportunity to play with a pre-release version (can't say more than that, sorry) and it was fairly amazing. I wish they had developer platforms and APIs like Roomba (although I am not sure how I would be able to mount anything on top and not interfere with the Lidar's view).

Alan

@thetechguru that D7 sounds great! Our poor little sweeper sometimes gets stuck behind the toilet, then when she can't back out starts to whimper.

@Warpig Yup GOTG3 starts shooting in Feb. I have reshoots for Avengers Infinity War part 2 in September...and Robots all in between!