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?)

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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!