A new hackable DIY robot, Peeqo is about to be your new favorite desktop gadget if you love GIFs. Described as a desktop companion that’s the “love child of a home assistant and your favorite Disney character,” Peequo will communicate through GIFs. He’s meant as a little entertainment device that keeps you company on your desk and gets you through the day.
Peeqo began as a project by a redditor and when he posted his creation, it soon went viral. Everyone wanted to build their own Peeqo. Now thanks to Kickstarter, you can! The project is currently accepting funding until March 14 and is nearly to its goal of $70,000.
He runs on Raspberry Pi and the maker promises that anyone can assemble the kit as its suitable for all ages. Inside the kit you’ll find everything below – all you need for your very own Peeqo.
- 4” IPS screen for vibrant crystal clear all angle viewing
- Dual omni-directional microphones
- Two 3W Speakers for stereo sound
- A 5MP camera
- An LED ring for discreet notifications
- Four programmable buttons
- A unique 3DOF mechanism
- Raspberry Pi 3B+
Once assembled, Peeqo stands just under 7 inches tall but is packed with personality. He uses a 12V DC plug and connects to WiFi. He works with Google Cloud Speech, Amazon Voice Services, Snips, and open source methods like Mycroft and Jasper. Peeqo creator is also developing an in-house voice service which will be available for a monthly charge if used. You can choose the privacy level you desire. As for his exterior, you can change the body fabric and certain 3D printed designs could be attached to Peeqo.
Each time you ask Peeqo a question, he responds with a GIF. The GIFs are sourced from websites like Giphy, Guggy, and Vlipsy to give him a huge library so you never get the same response twice. You can also add your own favorite GIFs and videos in the following formats: .gof, .webp, and .mp4. Multiple GIFS can be chained together as a response. Peeqo will ship with a 16 gb SD card and you can upgrade it if desired.
He’ll also come with pre programmed skills like timers, smart device control, weather, and more. You can also add your own skills. You can link multiple Peeqos together to interact with each other. Certainly seems like a great little desk toy or gadget for a tech-loving kiddo or the kiddo in all of us. He’s got quite a personality!
You can get your own Peeqo with a pledge of $179 or more, 28% off the retail price of $249. At this level, you’ll need to have your own Raspberry Pi 3 or higher. A $219 level will get you the complete kit. Shipping is estimated for September 2019.
Find out more and back him at the official Kickstarter page. You can also get a taste of the Peeqo features and personality with the videos on the page.