Scientists Develop 'PhoneBot,' a Two-Legged Robot That Carries and Operates Smartphones
The low-cost, open-source humanoid platform can track people, position itself for photos, and respond to voice commands.
Scientists have developed a two-legged robot designed to carry and operate a smartphone, potentially eliminating the need for selfie sticks. Dubbed 'PhoneBot,' the robot stands about 19 inches (48 cm) tall and weighs approximately four pounds (1.8 kg).
During initial demonstrations, the $400 robot showcased its ability to walk, follow a person, and even stand up from a prone position. A smartphone is mounted above the device's hips, serving as its torso. The phone's camera and motion sensors enable the robot to detect, track, and gather information about human movement and orientation.
The robot can be programmed to act as an automated photographer, positioning itself to ensure everyone is included in the frame. The researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles, explained that the smartphone runs the software that controls the robot's movements, sending commands via Wi-Fi to a small onboard computer connected to 13 motors—six in each leg and one for torso rotation. This allows the camera to pivot while the robot's feet remain stationary.
The system has been tested with various phones, all supporting the core sensing, movement control, and vision functions. Although currently lacking arms, the team plans to add lightweight limbs for object manipulation. Future research will also focus on the robot's performance on uneven terrain, as current testing has been limited to flat surfaces.
The PhoneBot can also respond to voice commands using the smartphone's microphone and speaker, though speech recognition and language processing are currently handled by an external laptop. The researchers aim to integrate these AI models directly onto the phone to reduce external hardware requirements.
According to the researchers' preprint on arXiv, smartphones offer a practical foundation for robotics due to their integrated cameras, sensors, processing power, and connectivity. They envision PhoneBot as an affordable, reproducible platform for education, research, and prototyping, aiming to make humanoid robots more accessible.