Quadruped robots remind me of the film Ready Player One. Since then we have seen advancements in robotics for example that robot that can make you a coffee in Selfridges.
In this review, we have been sent the Petoi Bittle Robot Dog STEM Kit which helps young people to develop their skills in robotics and help them learn basic coding.
First Impressions
The Petoi Bittle robot dog is a programmable dog designed for young people 14 years and up who want to learn basic robotics. You can buy the Bittle as a conduction kit for £257 if you want to challenge yourself and build the dog. If building the dog from scratch is not your thing then you will be pleased to know it comes pre-assembled for £266.
In this review, we got sent the pre-assembled option but we will also discuss the construction kit as well so you can best decide what you want to buy. The pre-assembled option comes programmed with a few starter tricks like walking or trotting to learn the basics of what this dog can do. Once you get the hang of that the user can expand to more complex tricks via its open-source software platform.
The Open Source platform also allows you to attach Grove sensors to extend its capabilities if you’re looking to expand your knowledge in machine learning or try out STEM experiments. The extra accessories include an intelligent camera module which currently costs £59.
Finally, the Bittle Robot dog comes in 3 colour options:
- Black, Yellow, and Blue
- Black & Yellow
- Black
In this review, we were sent the Black, Yellow & Blue model and when you unbox this model it comes with the following:
- Attachable Head
- Tail
- Micro USB cable
- IR Remote Control
- USB Adaptor
- Wi-Fi Adaptor
- Bluetooth Adaptor
- Lithium battery
- Joint Tuner
- Screwdriver
- 1x spare servo & spare servo connectors
- Additional Screws
Design
The dog is 6 inches tall and very lightweight at only 2 lbs. You will notice when testing that the head does have the tendency of falling off this may seem annoying but there is a reason why the head acts as a clip that can hold onto small objects and is also where the additional sensors are placed for STEM projects.
As mentioned our review sample was the pre-assembled option that still needs a few things put together the main body is built but you will need to snap the head on and add the tail to very simple tasks (You may also have to install the Bluetooth chip. It’s recommended you give the Bittle batteries a full charge before use.
I have had my 17-year-old son testing this for me and he has found testing this dog to be great fun and very easy to do as well as learning how to add built-in routines. When it comes to controlling the Bittle you have three ways of controlling this little dog.
- The IR remote control
- The mobile App
- Desktop app on your PC/Laptop
The IR remote control as mentioned has some pre-installed controls and you can also control the speed of the dog doing these tricks. You can also set up controls like getting the dog to do pushups.
The battery life is a real issue you get about an hour of use until it needs recharging you will see a warning light that will appear and this indicates the battery life is under 10% and you will notice this little dog will slow down or just completely stop. A way around this is to purchase an extra battery as this will reduce the downtime but it does increase the overall cost.
Construction Kit
As you know in this review we went for the pre-assembled option but there is a self-build kit which allows you to learn how to put the whole robot together. This option is a great idea for those who want the full experience and is even a cheaper option only slightly but still a saving.
The main body has been built so you need to put the legs on they snap in place with ease. The body and legs are made of durable plastic material. You will need to upload code to the Nyboard to make sure all the connectors are connected to the right circuit. Once you have done that now attach the provided screws with the provided mini screwdriver and full set-up should take about 40/50 minutes to completely set up.
Bittle uses 9 customized PS1 servos which are located in the following places two on each leg that acts as joints and one for the head. If you are building your Bittle yourself make sure the servos are positioned correctly. It’s important to have the motors and cables connected correctly to the Nyboard to ensure robot operations run correctly.
The NYboard is a board that comes pre-programmed with a handful of tricks and routines that the robot can execute. The bittle robot also comes with 3 adaptors that are used to charge, calibrate, code and even updated the firmware.
Finally, the Bittle can also be connected in three different ways – USB, WiFi & Bluetooth.
How do you control the Bittle Robot Dog?
The main way to control the robot dog is the provided IR remote control. Each button on the controller shows an icon that activates a pre-controlled manoeuvre that you can try out.
Other options to control the robot dog include the Robot Controller app which you have the choice of a mobile or desktop app. The Mobile app is available on both Android and IOS and allows you to connect to the bittle via Bluetooth. Once connected you can calibrate each servo, upload new capabilities and use the main control pad to engage with Bittle.
View of the Mobile App controls
The Desktop app requires you to connect the bittle by the provided Micro USB adapter. Once connected this is the best way to update firmware updates. The app is also used to compose new skills and joint calibration. In terms of controls, I found the mobile app the best option to control the Bittle dog but it’s nice to have the options.
Coding with Bittle
The main reason behind buying a Petoi Bittle robot dog is to learn how to code there are two ways firstly Petoi desktop all and the other option is CodeCraft.
If you want to code using CodeCraft you need to make sure you have downloaded OpenCat 1.0 as the new version won’t work with Codecraft yet. Then you need to make sure the Bittle Robot Dog is connected either by Bluetooth, WiFi or via the provided USB adapter then open the Petoi Desktop app.
Once done you need to download the CodeCraft app on your PC then you can start programming different routines and then click upload on the left side of the menu. Uploading the routine does take a few seconds to start running on the script you have set.
Now if you want to get deeper and actually write your own code instead of selecting a series of routines to create a script you need to download Opencat 2.0. Under the skill editor, you can click the add button to add another line and then choose one of the preset postures or adjust that via the movable sliders in the top left side to customize movements. Then simply save and hit play to see it run the routine you have set.
There are many online courses available for your child or yourself to learn the basics or even the more advanced learning. You will be pleased to know that Bittle can also be programmed by python if you know how to use that way of writing code.
Verdict
If you are looking to learn the basics of coding and robotics the Petoi Bittle Robot Dog is a fantastic option to get started as it’s a fun little gadget. In terms of cost, Amazon has just given this little gadget a price reduction so now you can find the construction option of £257 or pre-assembled for £266.
If this gadget is only being bought for entertainment value it might seem on the pricy side but look at this robot dog as more than that its a learning tool and will give you a basic coding experience with the addition of the free online coding courses and further expansion projects does make this a good investment as you will be able to develop your coding knowledge as a result.
You also need to look at other products that do the same thing on the market such as the PuppyPI which is significantly more expensive compared to the Bittle so it actually fits in the value-for-money sector of the market. I was also impressed with the open-source online community that is on hand when you need a little support.
Unfortunately, there are a few negatives the battery life only offering a single hour of use is a real negative. I would have liked at least a few extra hours or at least add an extra battery in the provided kit. You can buy an extra battery but that is an extra £40 and makes this an expensive project.
If you can look past the battery issue when it’s fully operational the Bittle Robot dog performs really well. I liked the fact you could use the IR remote control or you can use the apps either via mobile or desktop.
Overall, when you get used to this controlling the bittle I found it to be very agile and maintained good balance on the wooden flooring in the house but as you might expect this little dog struggles on the carpet. On hard surfaces, this little dog moves quite fast and can even flip itself back to a standing position if was to fail over and this fail-safe manoeuvre is a great little feature. This is a fantastic option to learn basic coding and if the price does not put you off I would recommend you buy this device just make sure you purchase an extra battery.
Product Rating
Design: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Controls: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Battery Life: 2.0 out of 5.0 stars
Coding Ability: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Value For Money: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Overall ranking: 4.2 out of 5.0 stars – 4.2-star rating
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