Meet Hubert the Humanoid Robot

Perhaps you’d like to own a humanoid robot. Seriously, who wouldn’t? On the other hand, robots that can not only process information via sensors and some sort of processing unit, and are mechanically robust enough to walk on two feet are notoriously (and understandably) expensive. ArcBotics aims to change this with Hubert the Humanoid robot, now available on Kickstarter for $899. If this still seems expensive, one might note that this is less than the cost of a college robotics class, and it’s already over-funded with 28 days left in the campaign as of this writing.

Hubert features a snappy design, with a touchscreen LCD display forming its face, along with ears that are able to physically move to convey emotion. Two HD cameras offer stereo vision, and a speaker and microphone provide audio feedback. Mechanically, it’s made out of aluminum, and is equipped with 24 custom servos to allow arm and leg movement.

Making this design even more interesting, the robot uses 100% open source hardware including a custom Arduino-compatible servo controller with nine-axis motion and Bluetooth connectivity, and comes with a Raspberry Pi 3 preloaded with the required software. While the RPi is a very capable board, if you somehow outgrow it, the Hubert can run on other single-board computers that use a USB connector and HDMI for the display. It’s a great looking robot, and certainly worthy of consideration for your “next” humanoid build!