Mu Design’s “BearBot”: A robot that will make TV watching effortless

You’re watching the finale of your favorite TV series. You’re excited to know who the murderer is. You want to raise the volume, but here comes every couch potato's nightmare…reaching across the couch to grab the remote. Through these dark times, there can be no human to help you out with this exhausting ordeal. But maybe, just maybe, a robot companion can! And not any robot, but a bear bot!

Bearbot is an interactive universal remote that completes tasks any ordinary remote can, but without you having press a single button.

Originally created by Mu Design in December 2015, this emotive friend provides users the ability to control nearby household devices through gestures. It comes as a black bear cub-shaped device with a 1.44 inch TFT screen that flashes with tiny eyes once it’s activated. Its shell is also made of 100% recyclable plastic. It operates with iOS and Android. 

Bearbot’s built-in 3D gesture recognition sensor detects user’s gestures using an infrared relay, reaching up to 5 meters. It uses infrared, Bluetooth, Zigbee, and radio technology to connect to devices nearby. Unlike other remotes, BearBot could be recharged through electromagnetic induction within four hours.

Since Bearbot learns from experience, you can assign certain gestures to various tasks using a mobile app. These tasks include either changing a boring channel on your TV or even dimming the light for a romantic date. As a universal remote, it can control multiple devices at the same time. It also performs pet-like animations, such as sneezing, coughing, and falling asleep.

Bearbot comes with its own little cub, Mini Bearbot, whose only purpose is to extend the infrared range to detect commands from a farther distance or through household obstacles, such as a wall. However, Mini Bearbot doesn’t have a screen. It operates with 2 AAA batteries.

Currently, Bearbot is being funded by the community on IndieGogo. The goal is to reach 199,000 Euros before October 1st, 2016. If the project is successfully funded, Bearbot will be planned for release in mid-2017.