Mini Pupper: This open source robot dog based on the Raspberry Pi 4 is much cheaper than the Xiaomi CyberDog

The Hong Kong based company MangDang has kicked off the crowdfunding campaign for its robot dog called "Mini Pupper" on Kickstarter. The Raspberry Pi 4 based robot is a derivative of the Stanford Pupper and it has easily surpassed its crowdfunding goal within a couple of days even though there is still almost a month left on the campaign. The 16.5cm tall robot dog can learn different types of walks and features three facial animations, which can always be customized and expanded.

Since MangDang's robot dog is based on open source software, the electric pet is heavily customizable and technically inclined users can tune it to their liking via Ubuntu and the ROS (Robot Operating System). Furthermore, the Mini Pupper is able to autonomously move around and even map its surroundings. The range of technical functions is supposed to be particularly impressive when considering the low price tag of the robot dog.

By contributing at least US$480 to the Kickstarter campaign, you can pre-order the complete kit which also includes the required Raspberry Pi 4 (from US$63 on Amazon). You could also buy some of the vital components separately and possibly save some more money that way. In the end, the Mini Pupper may not look as futuristic as Xiaomi's limited CyberDog that costs US$1,500; but it may be a viable alternative for all tinkerers and modders who like to be more involved in the technical development of their electric pet.