This Autonomous Robot With a Camera Is My New Best Friend.
Like any true geek, I’ve been dreaming of a droo ever since I watched Star Wars as a kid. And now I finally have one: it’s Beni, the new gadget from Mondo Robotics , and it makes me go, “Artoo who?” This isn’t just a ” Update of the Week” ; it might just be my lifetime update.
Beni is an all-terrain robot camera that started life as a Kickstarter project , but unlike many other Kickstarter projects, it’s actually pretty cool . It shoots 4K video while autonomously following its subject wherever they go. If you want to capture action shots, you won’t need a tripod or help: you can control it with a remote control or have it follow you. It can also be configured to follow you from the side or move in a circle, and you can adjust its actions using the app or remote control on the fly, so the possibilities for creating complex shots with minimal effort are practically endless. Plus, it’s adorable. Just look at this little guy:
If Beni were just a stunt, his cuteness wouldn’t matter, but the footage is truly impressive. Check out this video, which I recorded completely without planning; I simply pointed Beni’s camera at this skater and told it to follow him wherever he went:
See how smoothly it glides over uneven concrete? How easily it climbs inclines? I even launched it off a huge ramp, and it landed on the other side, leveled out, and continued on its way.
Here’s an example of the video you’ll get if you enable the “surround you” mode (and, again, this was recorded without any prior planning):
The way it slides under the bench so easily? Come on. It’s just gorgeous.
Yes, Beni is a bit of a gimmick, but as far as gimmicks go, it’s undeniably amazing. Here’s a quick list of what I love about Beni:
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It’s very easy to use . I had it up and running within minutes of taking it out of the box and downloading the app. You can figure out how it works on the fly.
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This is a robot designed for rough terrain . An optional set of larger, more durable wheels is available, but even with the standard tires, it handled uneven concrete, grass, and dirt with ease.
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He’s incredibly resilient . Even though Beni has the ability to detect obstacles, he still often crashes into things, but it’s no problem. Beni can withstand huge, epic falls, crash into walls, and get hit by children, and still get back on his feet and keep going without a hitch. It’s amazing to watch.
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In fact, it works as you’d expect. I know that’s a low bar, but it’s rare for a flashy piece of technology to actually do what it promises, and Beni does.
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He’s adorable . A lot of work went into creating Beni to make him as friendly as possible—he performs tricks, blinks his “eyes,” responds to gestures, and you can even put a little baseball cap on him. Beni radiates positivity.
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It’s great for socializing . If you have a little robot following you around, people will want to talk to you. I’m not a big fan of people, but if you want to make friends at the park, this robot will at least open the door.
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It’s not as expensive as you might think. The basic Beni model will set you back $750, while the “Explore Combo” kit with large wheels, a charging stand, and a small hat is $899. While $750 isn’t cheap, for what you get, it’s actually quite a bargain. After all, everything costs a fortune these days! You deserve a robot.
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How to buy a Beni robot camera
Beni the robot isn’t ready for its debut yet. It’s currently available for pre-order on the Mondo Robotics website, with a release scheduled for early November. This is the company’s first product, so it’s unclear whether Beni will be sold through third-party retailers like Amazon.