Petoi Bittle

Name: Petoi Bittle
Brand: Petoi

Palm-sized programmable robotic dog for STEM education

$225 – $299

Petoi Bittle is an open-source quadruped robotic dog designed for coding education and robotics research. Standing at just 20cm tall, this affordable robot dog features 9 degrees of freedom and can perform dynamic movements like walking, trotting, and responding to voice commands. Targeted at students, educators, hobbyists, and researchers, Bittle serves as an accessible platform for learning robotics, AI, and programming through Arduino and Python.

Released: 2020

Overview

Petoi Bittle is a revolutionary palm-sized robotic dog that brings advanced quadruped robotics into an accessible and affordable package. Launched through a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2020, Bittle was designed to democratize robotics education by providing a capable, programmable robot that fits in the palm of your hand yet performs sophisticated movements comparable to larger and more expensive robots.

Built on an open-source framework, Bittle uses an Arduino-compatible board (Petoi NyBoard) as its main controller and features 9 servo motors providing nimble and dynamic movements. The robot can walk, trot, crawl, and perform tricks, while also responding to voice commands and infrared remote control. Its compact design and robust construction make it suitable for both classroom environments and individual exploration.

Bittle represents Petoi's mission to make robotics education engaging and accessible. With comprehensive documentation, a supportive community, and compatibility with popular programming languages like Arduino C++ and Python, Bittle serves as an ideal platform for learning inverse kinematics, gait algorithms, sensor integration, and AI applications in a tangible, interactive format.

Key Features

Open-source design: Fully customizable hardware and software with Arduino and Python support
9 degrees of freedom: Agile movements including walking, trotting, crawling, and performing tricks
Compact size: Palm-sized at 20cm length, weighing only 280g, easy to transport and handle
Modular expansion: Compatible with various sensors, cameras, AI modules, and accessories
Pre-programmed skills: Over 20 built-in movements and behaviors ready to use out of the box
Voice and remote control: Responds to voice commands and IR remote for interactive operation
Educational curriculum: Comprehensive tutorials and lesson plans for STEM education
Community support: Active global community sharing codes, modifications, and projects

Applications

Bittle excels as an educational tool for STEM programs, robotics clubs, and university courses teaching robotics fundamentals, programming, and AI. Schools and educators worldwide use Bittle to introduce students to concepts like inverse kinematics, motion planning, and embedded systems programming in an engaging hands-on format. Its affordability allows institutions to equip entire classrooms with individual robots for each student.

Beyond education, Bittle serves researchers and hobbyists exploring quadruped locomotion, bio-inspired robotics, and AI at the edge. Developers use Bittle as a testbed for gait algorithms, reinforcement learning experiments, and computer vision applications. The robot's open-source nature and expandability make it popular among makers who integrate custom sensors, train neural networks for autonomous navigation, or develop novel control schemes for legged robots.

Technical Highlights

Bittle's engineering achievement lies in packaging sophisticated quadruped capabilities into an ultra-compact form factor at a fraction of the cost of research-grade robots. The custom NyBoard controller efficiently manages 9 servo motors with precise timing to execute complex gaits and maintain balance using real-time IMU feedback. The robot's firmware implements advanced inverse kinematics calculations that translate desired body movements into coordinated leg motions, enabling smooth and natural-looking locomotion.

The modular architecture allows seamless integration of extension modules including AI vision cameras, distance sensors, and wireless communication upgrades. Bittle's compatibility with ROS (Robot Operating System) enables integration into more complex robotic systems and research pipelines. The power-efficient design delivers 30-60 minutes of continuous operation on a single battery charge, while the durable injection-molded frame withstands the repeated impacts inherent in learning to program quadruped gaits.