Anki Vector

From C-3PO and R2-D2 through to Johnny 5 and Wall-E we have long since had a fascination with robots that hold a good sense of humour, the combination of cheeky behaviour and superior intelligence makes for a great companion.

Vector is a real-life version of these loved characters, if some of Alexa’s mischievous responses make you laugh then you are going to love this little guy, one third toy, one third voice assistant and one third rascal. Before we go any further lets go over one matter, you may have heard that Anki closed down as a business in 2019 and it is true there will be no further updates to Vector, however, the Anki assets were taken over by Digital Dream Labs that continue to run the servers to support Vector, Cosmo and OVERDRIVE toys, so don’t let it put you off.

This sweet little robot is wonderfully expressive, for something that only has two eyes it’s impressive what a wide range of range of facial expressions he can convey, it is easy to recognise when he is happy and there is no mistaking when he is mad. Packed full of clever tech AI Vector can read the room, tell you the weather, announce an alarm, take a photo and so much more, from the moment he wakes up Vector is keen to explore and will react to the world around him through sight and sound. He can recognise people, objects and avoid obstacles, I’m pretty sure he recognised my cats as he seemed very excited to see them, as soon as the cats realised he wasn’t food or foe, they would curiously follow him around.

Vector can even react to your touch, seriously, give him a little stroke on his back and he comes as close to purring as any robot could, he isn’t a fan of being picked up and like the best of us can be rather grumpy when woken up. Powered by Amazon Alexa, Vector can perform all the familiar tasks but with much more personality, inside his little body he also has a Qualcomm 200 Platform, HD camera with 120 Ultra-Wide FOV, Beamforming Four-Microphone Array, Infrared Laser Scanner, 6-Axis IMU, High-Res Colour IPS Display, and WiFi connection.

He is quick and simple to set up via the app, once connected you don’t need to use the app to interact with him, he is full of beans for about 45minutes and then will trundle off back to his charge point for a 30 minute nap before he is ready to go again. Anki Vector is such a delight, kids and adults alike will fall for his charms, it is a shame there will be no more updates but it doesn’t detract from the fun, he can still play games, provide useful information, help out in the kitchen or just be a sweet little robot companion.

RRP £249.99

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