Here’s a video of Nanabot, a prototype bot that uses ChatScript at its core to play conversation style games with you:

Nanabot plays games with you

Nanabot can track faces, recognize popular books, DVDs, and QR codes, and has many other fun features.  Here’s another video that shows the robot being controlled by a wrist mounted Bluetooth controller

Nanabot controlled by a wave of your hand

Nanabot is currently on Indiegogo as a crowd-funding project.  If it funds, I’ll be open sourcing the Robot Interface Toolkit I wrote to create Nanabot, and the code that interfaces with the wearable Bluetooth controller, the V.BTTN by VSN Mobil.  Note, the project closes on June 8th and contributors get a 50% discount on the V.BTTN.  You can get your own custom conversation programmed into the robot at the higher contribution levels.

Cool idea.  Wish I owned a Windows phone, but that’s not going to happen. I do own an iPad, so a bot that held an iPad and moved around would be great, though a bit awkward.

Hello Bruce,

At some point Nanabot will get on to the other smart phone platforms, most likely early next year.  Note, a Lumia 520 is only $60 USD and that’s without a contract, and that phone will work with Nanabot.  However, a Lumia 620 or any other Windows Phone with a front facing camera is preferred if you want the face tracking and object identification features.

Robert