The Robosen T9 Is a Real Auto-Transforming Robot Launching on Kickstarter

There’s no way to avoid this comparison, so let’s just go ahead and get it out of the way: this is a real Transformers robot. Yes, there were plenty of Transformers toys released over the years that you could transform — that was the whole point. But they didn’t transform automatically. The new Robosen T9 robot does, and it’s launching through Kickstarter.

The Robosen T9 Kickstarter campaign just kicked off recently, but it has already reached almost four times its $10,000 funding goal. And it’s easy to see why; this is the kind of toy that kids — and adults — have been dreaming of for decades. It doesn’t have any official brand tie-in to Transformers, but it’s obvious that that was Robosen’s inspiration for the T9. It seamlessly transforms between a drivable car and a walking bipedal robot, which is about as Transformers-esque as you can get.

Unlike Transformers toys, though, the Robosen T9 is an actual working robot that can be programmed however you like. The T9’s movements and voice can be programmed through conventional languages, or through the companion app using a popular visual programming language called Scratch. That allows you to code using simple graphical blocks, and was developed specifically with children in mind. Movements can even be programmed through a special 3D “action editor” app.

Once programmed, the Robosen T9 can be controlled through a simple smartphone app. In bipedal mode, it stands 340 mm tall (about 13.5 inches). A total of 22 servos actuate the movement — two for the head, four for each arm, five for each leg, and two for the driving wheels when it’s in car mode. And that’s all powered by a 2000mAh battery — though they don’t specify how long you can expect that battery to last.

If you want a Robosen T9, the Kickstarter campaign is running until April 18th. Super early birds can get one T9 for $269, and delivery is expected in June.