AI and supercomputers, step aside. I much prefer this approach to robotics which uses naught but a low-power gaming handheld and a 3D printer.
What Is a Playdate?
You might know Panic Inc. for publishing bona fide hit video games like Firewatch and Untitled Goose Game. However, I’m partial to the Playdate, the company’s crank-controlled gaming handheld that throws back to the original Game Boy.
A large part of the Playdate’s appeal comes from its active and passionate indie development scene. It’s great for beginners (Panic even made an easy-to-use web-based game maker for the platform) but has also been a playground for seasoned developers to try out quirky ideas.
Enter PlayBot, the Playdate Robot
One of the coolest products to come out of this scene has been the PlayBot by Guillaume Loquin. This fun device is essentially a dock on wheels for the Playdate that comes to life when paired with a sideloaded application.
The main mechanic of the PlayBot is a moving platform that the Playdate rests on. As you can see in the trailer, it moves in tandem with the application’s emotive on-screen eyes. It’s expressive and remarkably cute, especially when it reacts to being flicked by a finger to “wake up” the system from its quite literal slumber.
Add in a handful of sensors—including the Playdate’s accelerometer and microphone—and you have a remarkably lifelike device. Sure, it’s not the most useful robot, but it’s definitely one of the most adorable (and if you ask me, that’s what matters most).
Your Move, Panic
A cool bonus feature of the PlayBot is its dual use as a Playdate charger. Given that the Playdate’s lock screen displays the time, this effectively turns PlayBot into a desk clock.
It’s not too far off of Panic’s erstwhile Playdate Stereo Dock. This novel accessory garnered attention when announced in 2021 thanks to its quirky pen and Bluetooth speaker functionality. Sadly, Panic shelved the project after detailing its troubled development. Even if the Stereo Dock never comes to pass,
I’d love to see the Playdate maker offer even a simple docking station for its handheld, but for now the PlayBot is the next best thing.
You can create a PlayBot for yourself using resources available on GitHub. The power to make a robot friend is in your hands!
