Machine learning models and artificial intelligence have been operational in most of our lives for over a decade, in the form of smart assistants such as Amazon Alexa and Apple Siri on the iPhone. What we are now witnessing is an age of more experimental form factors, such as this curious dog, which boasts a four-legged design, a roster of sensors, and a Raspberry Pi with Compute Module 4. The $599 CM4 XGO-Lite Robot Dog Kit from ELECFREAKS aims to attract hobbyists, educators and researchers looking to explore robotics, AI, and machine learning applications in a canine form factor that closely resembles something out of Boston Dynamics.

Design

Upon receiving this robot puppy, we were unsure if the ‘kit' in its name implied we’d be building it ourselves. On opening the very nice hard shell case, we found a fully assembled pup. However, a few extra screws, screwdrivers, and some kit pieces are included in case of any mishaps down the line, so it appears user rectifications are possible. The entire construction is from lightweight materials like aluminium alloy and high-strength plastic. It looks very much like a Meccano set and is seriously robust, with impressive agility. The legs, display arm, and main shell body are all rock solid and have remained tight throughout our usage; we haven’t needed to tighten any screws so far. It's worth noting that its design is modular, allowing for easy customisation and expansion with additional sensors and peripherals.

Onboard sensors, including a camera, ultrasonic sensors, a gyroscope, and an inertial measurement unit (IMU), provide the robot with advanced perception capabilities for tasks like obstacle avoidance and environment mapping. At the heart of the robot lies the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 (CM4), which offers substantial processing power for running complex algorithms and handling sensor data. The rechargeable battery pack ensures adequate operational time and is charged by being plugged into the underside. The LCD display has a USB-C type output and four buttons along the side to control and navigate the menu. It’s not a touchscreen, which seems a little odd, as a touchscreen would lend itself perfectly to this device and would provide a much faster method of control input.

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What does it do?

Running on a Linux-based operating system, the ELECFREAKS CM4 XGO robot supports multiple programming languages, including Python and C++, and is compatible with the Robot Operating System (ROS), making it accessible for both beginners and advanced users. This thoughtful design not only ensures reasonably expansive programmability but also offers significant educational value, making the CM4 XGO-Lite Robot Dog Kit a serious choice for learning and experimentation in robotics.

There’s a roster of pre-programmed demonstrations that all run on the device, such as colour tracking of blocks supplied with the kit, dancing with music, gesture recognition (thumbs up, number of fingers being held up, etc.), object distance recognition, and face tracking. You can even pet it under its chin, and the software/hardware will recognise this to display happiness and affection through its movements. It’s a fun bundle of features that entertain and showcase its voice, visual, and gesture recognition capabilities. It all works rather well, although there’s a second or so lag with visual tasks when using its camera and processing the data in real time.

An XGO app can be downloaded for iOS and Android, offering full remote control of the ELECFREAKS CM4 XGO-Lite Robot Dog, with features such as joystick controls, a wall of executable predefined actions that access various robot settings including all monitor sensor data. Taking the reigns of control in this manner showcases, not just how the body can contort with its legs and the actionable robotic arm with grab, but how quickly it's able to go from differing positions. It's even able to tilt and raise individual legs, so it's only standing on three, and the robot can achieve omnidirectional movement, so if on a surface that tilts backwards and forwards, it can position itself to stay steady.

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Its articulated legs, powered by high-torque servomotors, 15 active joints, and kinematic decoupling, allow for precise movements, enabling various gaits such as walking and trotting. It even emerges from a slumber position when powered on and vice versa when powered off. Navigating carpets and hard floors with ease, it pivots and races with little concern. When seeing it just mooch around, it’s somewhat unsettling at first to see how animalistic it is due to the way it confidently carries itself and remedies any unsteadiness. But like robot cleaners and lawnmowers, you quickly get used to it.

Is it actually useful?

Its usefulness is difficult to quantify. For students and educators, the ELECFREAKS CM4 XGO-Lite Robot Dog Kit provides a tangible way to explore concepts in robotics, programming and artificial intelligence, offering hands-on experience that can deepen understanding and engagement. Enthusiasts and hobbyists who dabble in programming will definitely find favour with the CM4 XGO, as it not only supports extensive customisation but also serves as a robust platform for experimenting with new ideas and projects, backed up by a wealth of online resources to teach you how to tinker with the kit.

Its out-of-the-box capabilities are already impressive and enjoyable to interact with, showcasing advanced movements, sensor integration, and autonomous behaviours right from the start. This immediate functionality provides a rewarding experience for users as they observe and interact with the robot. However, we couldn’t find any sort of ecosystem where bits of software others have written can be downloaded in an app store-like fashion. Something like this, where people could share their creations for others to enjoy, would undoubtedly enhance the immediacy of what you can do and spark interest in new ideas.

We also couldn’t help but keep coming back to how its freedom of movement is so very capable at this scale, that if it were to be enlarged into varying form factors, we could imagine tools that could cut hedges, wash windows, clean gutters, and possibly even build things like houses. It’s quite exciting and surprising to see a glimpse of what the future of machine learning and robotics will likely deliver.

Verdict

Having the ELECFREAKS CM4 XGO-Lite Robot Dog Kit is like having a Boston Dynamics robot on a micro scale, featuring a superbly constructed modular design with a well-machined exterior body. It makes perfect sense in educational settings due to its comprehensive programming abilities. The hardware and software integration is capable of so much, with out-of-the-box demos showcasing impressive real-time voice, visual, and gesture recognition. For us, its flagship feature is the agility of the design, particularly the CM4 XGO-Lite Robot Dog's ability to counter any unsteadiness itself in real-time, just like a real dog, while travelling at speed on various surfaces when using the app as a remote control. This is seriously astonishing to witness! Improvements we’d suggest include making the process of connecting to a Wi-Fi network clearer and incorporating a touchscreen to make control easier and more intuitive.