Your old Android phone could become a walking robot

UCLA researchers have developed PhoneBot, a small humanoid robot that uses an Android phone as its main sensing and computing device. The project could make robotics more accessible to schools and research groups by reducing reliance on costly specialist computers.

PhoneBot stands about 19 inches tall, weighs roughly four pounds and has 13 motorised joints. Its phone uses motion sensors to help it balance, a camera to track people and software to control walking; instructions are sent over Wi-Fi to the robot’s motors. Researchers tested the system with four Android phones, including a 2017 Honor 9, and estimate the robot hardware costs about $400, excluding the phone.