Now, the little handheld could have some mobility options in the form of a wheelchair-like add-on.
With the PlayBot dock, the gear can maneuver by itself.
More than that, it turns it into an interactive, playful pet robot,ala the KEYi Loona.
© Screenshot: Guillaume Loquin / YouTube
In avideo, PlayBot startles awake when nudged.
It can also stop itself from rolling off the desk.
The side-loaded software includes all-new animations, giving the Playdate expressive eyes akin to thedevices original startup animation.
© Gif: Guillaume Loquin
you’re free to build one yourself with the right board and access to a 3D printer.
This wasnt the designers first rodeo.
Loquin has createdother, wheel-basedandbipedal DIY roboticsover the years.
Like many others, I initially thought about creating a charging dock for my Playdate, they said.
Then, I thought, why not add wheels to it?
Having worked in the video game industry for many years, I enjoy combining my gaming expertise with robotics.
PlayBot is built using a Teensy 4.1 microcontroller, while everything else is printed.
The dock also acts as a place to charge your Playdate when unused.
The developer said the dock normally gets around 45 minutes of activity on a full charge.
The PlayBots open-source nature also allows more developers and animators to develop new capabilities.
The Playdate itself has proved to have a surprising amount of staying power.
Last month, Playdate showed off a fewarcade cabinet-style devicesto promote some landmark Playdate titles.
However, I prefer my devices to be small and handheld.
Update 12/18/24 at 7:56 a.m.
ET: This post was updated to include quotes and commentary from the designer.
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