Robot dogs have come a long way, but not all of them need to have artificial intelligence, recognize your face, or cost an arm and a leg to be fun. The Ruko R1 Mini Robot Dog is one such example. It is an affordable robotic toy aimed at children, but as a grown-up kid, I have to admit I had quite a bit of fun with it, too.
Of course, you should not expect the sophistication of something from Robosen. The Ruko R1 Mini is essentially a remote-controlled robotic dog that performs tricks, plays music, tells stories, and lets you string together a series of movements. It is not intelligent, nor does it learn from its surroundings. But for a toy at this price point, I think it has quite a lot going for it.
A Surprisingly Capable Little Acrobat
The first thing that impressed me was the R1 Mini’s acrobatics. This little fellow can perform quite a number of movements and stunts, and some of them are genuinely impressive. Well, albeit quite noisily. As the limbs and the body hit the floor, it can create quite a din. Then there’s the sound effect of it moving. Granted, you can adjust the volume for the latter. The self-righting mechanism is particularly entertaining. Knock it over, and it can get itself back up without your help. Not going to lie. I was having fun with that.
Another interesting feature is that it can operate on either side. There is no need to worry about placing it the right way up before starting. However, there is a small catch. Depending on which side it is resting on, forward may become backward and vice versa. There is actually a designated front and rear, indicated by a white headlight and a red taillight. It takes a little getting used to, but it is hardly a dealbreaker. It is worth noting that when on the wrong side up, the power switch will be visible.
One limitation worth mentioning is that the R1 Mini cannot move forward or backward and turn simultaneously. If you issue a command to turn while it is walking, it will stop walking and turn instead. It is a minor inconvenience, but it does make navigating around obstacles a little less fluid.
The build quality is excellent for the money. It feels sturdy enough to withstand the tumbling and flipping that are pretty much part of its job. My only observation concerning its physical performance is that the feet sometimes struggle for traction on smooth surfaces. I noticed this on epoxy-coated concrete and vinyl flooring, where some movements can result in slipping rather than the intended action. Or is it just the way it’s meant to be? I don’t know.
Gesture Control Is More Than a Gimmick
The Ruko R1 Mini comes with a conventional handheld controller and a wearable gesture controller. Both work well, and I find them reasonably responsive. The traditional controller is easy to use, but the gesture controller is where things get interesting.
Some reviewers have found the gesture controls awkward. Personally, I think Ruko got them pretty spot on for a toy. It is intuitive enough, responsive enough, and adds another layer of fun to controlling the little robot dog. There is even a button positioned at your index finger that lets you switch between movement and stunt controls. Very cool! Watching it perform tricks with a movement of your hand is rather satisfying.
My gripe is not with the gesture recognition but with the palm band itself. The material is quite stiff and does not quite conform to my gorilla-size hand particularly well. I wish Ruko had made it more flexible so it’d feel more comfortable to wear. The good thing is that it can accommodate hands of many sizes thanks to the adjustable design.
Programming, Music, and Other Tricks
Beyond performing acrobatics, the R1 Mini can play music, tell stories, and execute a sequence of programmed movements. The programming is basic, and you cannot save your custom sequences for later use. It can also be hit or miss. I tried throwing everything the little fellow could do into one program, but the last action often failed to execute. I am not sure whether there is a limit to the number of actions it can handle or if it is just a programming quirk.
Still, it introduces children to the idea of putting actions in a particular order to achieve an intended outcome. It is not going to teach anyone serious coding, but as an introduction to the concept of programming, I think it does the job.
The R1 Mini also has a touch-and-response feature, but this one did not work quite as well for me. For starters, it only works when the dog is right side up. There is a fingerprint symbol indicating where you should touch it, except that it isn’t actually where the sensor responds. The responsive area is above the symbol, and it isn’t particularly sensitive either. A gentle touch does nothing. You need to press hard enough that the dog gets pushed down against the floor. The only reliable way I found to trigger it was to use my thumb while supporting its belly with my index finger. Not exactly the most intuitive interaction, especially for a toy intended for children.
The music and sound effects, however, are a different story. They sound rather cheap, and the repetitive nature of the audio does not help. There are also preloaded stories, but I suspect these, along with the music and the limited repertoire of movements, could get old fairly quickly.
Then again, children can be unpredictable. What gets on an adult’s nerves after the fifth repetition might be the very thing a child wants to hear for the fiftieth time.
About the music, I did hear a few familiar tunes. I have no idea whether Ruko licensed them or if they are in the public domain. Either way, listening to them at home isn’t the concern. But if you’re planning to post a video of the little fellow doing its thing with the music playing, there’s a possibility of attracting the attention of copyright holders. Just something to keep in mind.
On the practical side, USB charging is a welcome feature. It is one less excuse to keep a stash of disposable batteries around, at least for the robot dog itself. The controls are also uncomplicated enough that children should have little trouble getting started.
Final Thoughts
I think the Ruko R1 Mini Robot Dog gets the fundamentals right. It is well-built, easy to control, and capable of some genuinely entertaining stunts. The ability to right itself and operate on either side is a particularly nice touch, while the gesture control, despite my disagreement with its wristband, is easily one of its strongest selling points.
It is not without shortcomings. The cheap-sounding audio, finicky touch-and-response feature, occasionally unreliable programming, movement limitations, and potential traction issues on smooth flooring are worth noting. And because it does not possess any actual intelligence or adaptive behavior, I do wonder how long it can hold a child’s attention once the novelty wears off.
But judged for what it is, rather than what it isn’t, the Ruko R1 Mini is a pretty solid little toy. It may not be a full-fledged robot like those from Robosen, but it makes a fun and accessible introduction to robotics for kids. And if a grown man can have fun making it tumble around the floor, I reckon Ruko must have done something right.
The Ruko R1 Mini Robot Dog is available from Ruko at a discounted price of US$49.99.
Disclosure: Ruko provided the R1 Mini Robot Dog for the purpose of this review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.
Images: Mike for Mikeshouts.com.