Your New Robo-Puppy - Border Collie Smart

 Mini-Pupper Robotic Dog For Under $300

                                  Source:  MangDang

Robo Companion for Kids, Pets and Adults

If you're looking for a companion for your pet, your child or yourself, or something highly educational for your school that's the size of a chihauhau, a Hong Kong company may have just the thing - Mini-Pupper, a small robotic dog at a very affordable price of under $300.  MangDang, in conjunction with Stanford Puppy, has designed the Mini-Pupper, a small dog sized automaton.  It's a four legged, educational robot that can be configured to your liking.  The company calls it an "educational, quadruped robot at a reasonable price".  It is designed to enable anyone, including kids at school or being home-schooled, to do fun robotic research and experiments.  The company and Mini-Pupper are currently on Kickstarter to sell the product and raise investor money. They are exceeding their initial goals.

Small But Advanced Robotic Tech

Mini-Pupper weighs a little over a pound and is 8.2x4.3x6.5 inches.  The 4-legged robopet can run around, jump, trot, hop, and jog and display different expressions.  It is said to be as smart as a Border Collie, which is one of the world's smartest dog breeds. Mini-Puppie also has a camera sensor, Lidar and a full navigation system.  It can perform facial recognition, detect and avoid objects and map its surroundings.  It has an 800mAh battery, a Raspberry P14B processor that can be programmed in ROS or Ubuntu.  Interestingly you can get it fully assembled or as an open-source kit.  The open source kit allows you to build your own robodog with customized facial expressions, algorithms and mechanical shell. It can be preprogrammed or remotely controlled.  Pricing is variable with basic pricing coming in at $255.