Anki Cozmo rolls out to stores to charm kids, robot lovers

Anki is probably better known for its OVERDRIVE set of AI-powered racing car robots. But a few months ago, the company revealed a different, less competitive, and more educational product: Cozmo. Now the robot truck with a personality is being made available for everyone to purchase, whether for fun, for learning, or simply for mucking around with advanced technologies in a playful form. Because more than just a toy, the Cozmo robot is artificial intelligence, computer vision, and development platform rolled into one, made friendly, and made more affordable. Relatively.

Cozmo is part child’s toy and part tinkerer’s toy, with both audiences being served well. Definitely not an easy feat to pull off. Unlike many toy robots, even the programmable ones, Cozmo is meant to be fun and entertaining right out of the box, from the very first time it meets its new owner. It comes with a personality of its own, expressed through its OLED face and sound effects that would easily remind you of iconic robots like R2-D2 and Wall-E. Coincidentally, both do serve as inspiration for this robot.

But lest you think Cozmo is a mere toy, Anki is also throwing in a free SDK that allows more creative minds to craft all kinds of cool and odd stuff for the robot to do. Considering that Cozmo comes with a rather sophisticated AI and a camera that can be used for facial and object recognition, there will be no shortage of such ideas and projects to do.

Check out our review both of the Cozmo robot itself as well as its SDK to see what Anki’s endearing robot has to offer.

Considering what Cozmo is packing, it shouldn’t really be a surprise that it’s not the cheapest toy robot around the block. It does cost $179.99, but the experience it offers, for both young and old alike, may make it worth every penny. Anki’s Cozmo can now be purchased online as well as from retailers such as Toys’R’Us, Best Buy, Amazon, and Apple Stores.