In 2014 when Google debuted the cardboard VR headset, it changed the game, bringing VR into every home, destroying the misconception that VR was an expensive ordeal like how Oculus presented it to be. The Crafty Robot does the same with robotics, democratizing the technology and helping everyone have access to the tools to build robots that perform tasks as complex as detect objects and follow them, or as simple and pleasant as deliver your cup of tea to you.

The $40 robot comes in three types. An A.I. Bot that you can assemble using the cardboard net provided, and mount your smartphone onto. The A.I. Bot taps into your smartphone’s camera, using it to detect moving objects in its vicinity and follow or chase them around (I imagine this would be great to try on tiny pets). A Teabot (yes that’s literally what it’s called) comes with a tray that can carry anything from cups of tea to glasses of mimosas around your house, using your smartphone as a remote control. A third variant, the Unicorn bot, exists only because unicorns and robots as a combination seems like it’s destined for greatness!

The Crafty Robot’s ethos has always been to allow one to build bots from practically anything, and much like Google Cardboard or Nintendo’s Labo, it is exactly that. Low-cost materials, brought to life by creativity and electronics, the Smartibot is a wonderful STEM toy and a perfect stepping stone for people wanting to learn more about robotics. The Smartibots even allow you to build around them, combining other materials together to make much more complex bots that use LED panels, solar panels, or even are designed to look like mechas and badass automobiles using LEGO pieces. Simone Giertz would be proud!

Designer: The Crafty Robot