Like a Person in a Robot Suit!
The Nobot N1H1 is a humanoid device, remotely operated over IP, created to do your chores!
We combine the robot unit with a marketplace of operators so that every Nobot owner has a humanoid minion on tap, whenever they need one to do their bidding. Think of it as R2D2 with speaking not beeping!
The core N1H1 unit is like someone dressed up as a robot, except they can be anywhere in the world and the Nobot is right beside you, or off doing an errand at your bidding. Never tidy the house again!
Nobot is an product that will change the world for everyone, for the better: Owners and Operators alike.
The Benefits for Nobot Owners
Our goal, with Nobot, is for every Nobot-owning individual, household or organisation to get more out of each day of their lives because of their Nobot.
Nobot N1H1 is our launch device, a general purpose humanoid.
With this, and our subsequent, more specialist Nobots, the goal is that so many aspects of personal and business life and activity can be improved – if only because of the opportunity costs involved – by using Nobot.
At this point prior to launch we are busy building out partnerships and accessory packs (see below). As things stand, even the base-level N1H1 unit is able to do a hundred and one things:
- Act as a point of presence
- Run errands
- Be a companion
- Undertake basic chores
As things develop, we will work with many organisations to enable their products for more seamless Nobot operation. Whether this is the maker of construction equipment, or having coffee chains become ‘Nobot-friendly’ (for NFC-equipped variants) we know that Nobot will have a place in almost all areas of our lives.
Timeline
The Story Behind Nobot
When I was at school, we grew up with the (myth?) that NASA spent millions on a pen that could write in zero gravity, whereas the Russians issued their cosmonauts with pencils.
We have seen enough robot fail videos to know artificial intelligence (AI) isn’t easy.
We also figured that there are perhaps a billion or more under-utilised minds in the world that could be much more powerful than any AI ever made. Sure, they might not all become a chess grandmaster, but in terms of common-sense and the ability to learn quickly the human mind takes some beating.
Operators’ Marketplace
The Nobot Operators’ Marketplace allows a huge variety of people the world over to work in better conditions, for better pay than they could locally, but without having to emigrate.
This is hugely beneficial for the individuals concerned – they get the benefits of better work, based in the country that they love – but also massively positive for the countries concerned as there is not a ‘brain drain’.
The Nobot Operators’ Marketplace will be open to all, but also underpinned by a series of operator centres that we intend to set up around the world for Nobot operators who may otherwise not have the requisite hardware.
Our first Operator Centres will be in:
- India
- The Philippines
- Eastern Europe
The Technology behind Nobot
Nobot uses some really great, but tried-and-tested technology.
The Nobot N1H1 device itself is relatively low-tech. It is a mix of tried and tested hardware (camera, servos, Raspberry Pi, 3G dongle, etc) inside a study ABS plastic container.
We aspire to have a Nobot in every home and every business. To do this, we couldn’t make it cost a million dollars. As such, we have taken best of breed technology, often from the VR space, and made it work for Nobot.
For example, this include:
- Oculus Rift, for head tracking and camera
- Leap Motion, for hand and arm control
Some items we have had or will have to custom build ourselves, for example a tethered treadmill for proportionate movement, but in the main we intend to rely on smarter minds than ours, where we can, for some of the really complex stuff.
In addition to the ‘Professional’ operators kit of Oculus Rift and Leap Motion, the Nobot can be controlled via an iPad, again, remotely.
We will always make Nobot easily upgradeable where possible, for example you’ll be able to buy a new $50 computer unit should one become available, rather than a new $500 Nobot.
Why we are Raising Funds on Indiegogo?
We are already well underway with Nobot development. There are two key aspects to it:
- The Nobot Hardware
- The Nobot Software & Marketplace
Both of these are advancing well, driven by our experienced team and advisors who have done this sort of thing before.
We are raising funds on Indiegogo so that we can make the Nobot ecosystem better, faster.
We are confident of hitting our 1st November 2015 launch date for Nobot, irrespective of funding. What we want to do however is maximise the number of partnerships and integrations we have completed with Nobot by that time.
For example, we intend to partner with household appliance and machinery manufacturers to make them Nobot ready. A Nobot should be able to use your vacuum cleaner or drive your lawn mower.
We also intend to partner with retailers so that your Nobot can go and buy your latte or pick up your dry cleaning.
Accessories
In addition to the partnerships we will undertake with Nobot, we also plan to keep expanding the range of Nobot accessories.
Currently, we have the right hand and arm unit, the NFC unit and the crawler tracks. We already have an immediate roadmap of half a dozen additional accessories for Nobot, but will build on this.
With Indiegogo funding, these accessories will come to market more quickly and we will have more bandwidth to put in place accessory partnerships.
Nobot and the World
We believe that Nobot can and will change the world. Think of the Matrix, but more prosaic and less evil!
For Owners
For owners, Nobot will improve their lives.
- For businesses, perhaps more dangerous tasks will no longer have to place a human in a position of harm.
- For individuals, perhaps they can send a Nobot out in the rain to get a coffee for them, or have a Nobot tidy the house!
There are a million ways a Nobot will be useful. Cleaning, gardening, caring, serving, monitoring, etc.
For Operators
For operators (owners can also operate the Nobot themselves), Nobot will facilitate better jobs, pay and prospects. Nobot brings the benefits of globalisation to a huge number of people, reducing the need for those people to have to go to the benefits.