Playdate PlayBot: Modder turns the gaming handheld into a multifunctional robot
As a gaming handheld, Panic's Playdate stands a lot out of the competition. Its crank-based control allows gamers to get a new experience while playing indie games. The slightly open-source nature of the hardware even allows modders and developers to introduce new things to the community, and PlayBot is one of them.
Guillaume Loquin, the creator behind it, describes the Playdate robot as a fun little desktop robot. There's basically a moving platform with a dock, which allows the gaming handheld to move around while displaying emotive on-screen eyes on the screen.
It's more like the Emo robot, but the PlayBot requires users to sideload an application to work. The good part is that, like the Emo robot, this DIY desktop bot can interact with you, and as the trailer video shows, it's often very expressive during interactions.
As for the multifunctional aspect of this Playdate robot, besides being a fun little desktop companion, it doubles as a charger (65W Anker Nano curr. $39.99 on Amazon). While docked, the PlayBot can also act like a desk clock if you put the gaming handheld on the lock screen.
If you're interested in converting your Playdate into PlayBot, Guillaume Loquin has offered all the resources on GitHub. You will find files for the 3D printed parts, the firmware required to make the gaming handheld act like a companion bot, and information about additional parts. As the modder describes, it can cost anywhere from $100 to $120 per bot, which makes this an interesting yet affordable project if you have the right tools.
