{"id":4388,"date":"2020-01-20T12:07:45","date_gmt":"2020-01-20T17:07:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.dankohn.info\/?p=4388"},"modified":"2020-08-17T17:32:56","modified_gmt":"2020-08-17T17:32:56","slug":"robot-gift-guide-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.dankohn.info\/index.php\/2020\/01\/20\/robot-gift-guide-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"Robot Gift Guide 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

from IEEE Spectrum <\/a>
Nov 28, 2019
by Erico Guizzo and Evan Ackerman<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"2019
Image: IEEE Spectrum; Photos (clockwise from top left): DJI, iRobot, UBTECH, Franklin Robotics, iRobot, Groove X, Sony, Piaggio Fast Forward <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Welcome to the eighth edition of IEEE Spectrum\u2019s<\/em> Robot Gift Guide!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year we\u2019re featuring 15 robotic products that we think will make\n fantastic holiday gifts. As always, we tried to include a broad range \nof robot types and prices, focusing mostly on items released this year. (A reminder: While\n we provide links to places where you can buy these items, we\u2019re not \nendorsing any in particular, and a little bit of research may result in \nbetter deals.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you need even more robot gift ideas,\u00a0take a look at our past guides: 2018<\/a>,\u00a02017<\/a>,\u00a02016<\/a>,\u00a02015<\/a>,\u00a02014<\/a>,\u00a02013<\/a>, and\u00a02012<\/a>. Some of those robots are still great choices and\u00a0might be way cheaper now than when we first posted about them. And if you have suggestions that you\u2019d like to share, post a comment below to help the rest of us find the\u00a0perfect robot gift.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

  1. Skydio 2
    Image: Skydio

    What makes robots so compelling is their autonomy, and the     Skydio 2 is one of the most autonomous robots we\u2019ve ever seen<\/a>. It uses an array of cameras to map its environment and avoid obstacles in real-time, making flight safe and effortless and enabling the kinds of shots that would be impossible otherwise. Seriously, this thing is magical, and it\u2019s amazing that you can actually buy one.
    $1,000 <\/strong>
    Skydio<\/a><\/strong>
    <\/li>
  2. UBTECH Jimu MeeBot 2
    Image: UBTECH

    The Jimu MeeBot 2.0 from     UBTECH<\/a> is a STEM education robot designed to be easy to build and program. It includes six servo motors, a color sensor, and LED lights. An app for iPhone or iPad provides step-by-step 3D instructions, and helps you code different behaviors for the robot. It\u2019s available exclusively from Apple.

    $130
    Apple<\/a><\/strong>
    <\/li>
  3. iRobot Roomba s9+
    Image: iRobot

    We know that $1,400 is a crazy amount of money to spend on a robot vacuum, but the     Roomba s9+ is a crazy robot vacuum<\/a>. As if all of its sensors and mapping intelligence wasn\u2019t enough, it empties itself, which means that you can have your floors vacuumed every single day for a month and you don\u2019t have to even think about it. This is what home robots are supposed to be.

    $1,400
    iRobot<\/a><\/strong>
    <\/li>
  4. PFF Gita
    Photo: Piaggio Fast Forward

    Nobody likes carrying things, which is why Gita is perfect for everyone with an extra $3,000 lying around. Developed by     Piaggio Fast Forward<\/a>, this autonomous robot will follow you around with a cargo<\/a> hold full of your most important stuff, and do it in a way guaranteed to attract as much attention as possible.
    $3,250
    Gita<\/a><\/strong>
    <\/li>
  5. DJI Mavic Mini
    Photo: DJI

    It\u2019s tiny, it\u2019s cheap, and it takes good pictures\u2014what more could you ask for from a drone? And for $400, this is an excellent drone to get if you\u2019re on a budget and comfortable with manual flight. Keep in mind that while the Mavic Mini is small enough that you don\u2019t need to     register it with the FAA<\/a>, you do still need to follow all the same rules and regulations.
    $400
    DJI<\/a><\/strong>
    <\/li>
  6. LEGO Star Wars Droid Commander
    Image: LEGO

    Designed for kids ages 8+, this LEGO set includes more than 1,000 pieces, enough to build three different droids: R2-D2, Gonk Droid, and Mouse Droid. Using a Bluetooth-controlled robotic brick called Move Hub, which connects to the LEGO BOOST Star Wars app, kids can change how the robots behave and solve challenges, learning basic robotics and coding skills.

    $200
    LEGO<\/a><\/strong>
    <\/li>
  7. Sony Aibo
    Photo: Sony |

    Robot pets don\u2019t get much more sophisticated (or expensive) than     Sony\u2019s Aibo<\/a>. Strictly speaking, it\u2019s one of the most complex consumer robots<\/a> you can buy, and Sony continues to add to Aibo\u2019s software<\/a>. Recent new features include user programmability, and the ability to \u201cfeed\u201d it. 

    $2,900 (free aibone and paw pads until 12\/29\/2019)
    Sony<\/a><\/strong>
    <\/li>
  8. Neato Botvac D4 Connected
    Photo: Neato

    The Neato     Botvac<\/a> D4 may not have all of the features of its fancier and more expensive siblings, but it does have the features that you probably care the most about: The ability to make maps of its environment for intelligent cleaning (using lasers!), along with user-defined no-go lines that keep it where you want it. And it cleans quite well, too.

    $530<\/s>  $350 (sale)
    Neato Robotics<\/a> <\/strong>

    <\/li>
  9. Cubelets Curiosity Set
    Photo: Modular Robotics

    Cubelets<\/a> are magnetic blocks that you can snap together to make an endless variety of robots with no programming and no wires. The newest set, called Curiosity, is designed for kids ages 4+ and comes with 10 robotic cubes. These include light and distance sensors, motors, and a Bluetooth module, which connects the robot constructions to the Cubelets app.

    $250
    Modular Robotics<\/a><\/strong>
    <\/li>
  10. Tertill
    Photo: Franklin Robotics

    Tertill<\/a> does one simple job: It weeds your garden. It\u2019s waterproof, dirt proof, solar powered, and fully autonomous, meaning that you can leave it out in your garden all summer and just enjoy eating your plants rather than taking care of them.
    $350
    Tertill<\/a><\/strong>
    <\/li>
  11. iRobot Root
    Photo: iRobot

    Root<\/a> was originally developed by Harvard University as a tool to help kids progressively learn to code<\/a>. iRobot has taken over Root<\/a> and is now supporting the curriculum, which starts for kids before they even know how to read and should keep them busy for years afterwards.
    $200
         iRobot<\/a><\/strong>
    <\/li>
  12. LOVOT
    Image: Lovot

    Let\u2019s be honest: Nobody is really quite sure what LOVOT is. We can all agree that it\u2019s kinda cute, though. And kinda weird. But cute. Created by Japanese robotics startup     Groove X<\/a>, LOVOT does have a whole bunch of tech packed into its bizarre little body and it will do its best to get you to love it.
    $2,750 (\u00a5300,000)
    LOVOT<\/a><\/strong>
    <\/li>
  13. Sphero RVR
    Photo: Sphero
    RVR<\/a> is a rugged, versatile, easy to program mobile robot. It\u2019s a development platform<\/a> designed to be a bridge between educational robots like Sphero<\/a> and more sophisticated and expensive systems like Misty<\/a>. It\u2019s mostly affordable, very expandable, and comes from a company with a lot of experience making robots.
    $250
    Sphero<\/a><\/strong>
    <\/li>
  14. “How to Train Your Robot”
    Image: Lawrence Hall of Science

    Aimed at 4th and 5th graders, \u201cHow to Train Your Robot,\u201d written by Blooma Goldberg,     Ken Goldberg<\/a>, and Ashley Chase, and illustrated by Dave Clegg, is a perfect introduction to robotics for kids who want to get started with designing and building robots. But the book isn\u2019t just for beginners: It\u2019s also a fun, inspiring read for kids who are already into robotics and want to go further\u2014it even introduces concepts like computer simulations and deep learning. You can download a free digital copy or request hardcopies here<\/a>.
    Free
    UC Berkeley<\/a><\/strong>
    <\/li>
  15. MIT Mini Cheetah
    Photo: MIT

    Yes,     Boston Dynamics\u2019 Spot<\/a>, now available for lease<\/a>, is probably the world\u2019s most famous quadruped, but MIT is starting to pump out<\/a> Mini Cheetahs<\/a> en masse for researchers, and while we\u2019re not exactly sure how you\u2019d manage to get one of these things short of stealing one directly for MIT, a Mini Cheetah is our fantasy robotics gift this year. Mini Cheetah looks like a ton of fun\u2014it\u2019s portable, highly dynamic, super rugged, and easy to control<\/a>. We want one!
    Price N\/A
    MIT Biomimetic Robotics Lab<\/a><\/strong> <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    from IEEE Spectrum Nov 28, 2019by Erico Guizzo and Evan Ackerman Welcome to the eighth edition of IEEE Spectrum\u2019s Robot Gift Guide! This year we\u2019re featuring 15 robotic products that we think will make fantastic holiday gifts. As always, we tried to include a … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4388","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.dankohn.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4388","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.dankohn.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.dankohn.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.dankohn.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.dankohn.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4388"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blog.dankohn.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4388\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4618,"href":"https:\/\/blog.dankohn.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4388\/revisions\/4618"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.dankohn.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4388"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.dankohn.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4388"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.dankohn.info\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4388"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}