You Can Now Buy Beni the Jumping Robot Cameraman for $799
Beni, the adorable rolling robot which made waves with tech YouTubers when its beta version was first shown off last July, is now a finished product. Mondo Robotics has announced the robot cameraman is available to purchase today for $799.
The rolling, all-terrain robot debuted on Kickstarter, where it raised over $5 million last summer, likely bolstered by what was being advertised as a significant discount over the final retail price. Mondo Robotics shared that it had shipped over 5,000 robots to backers in October.
For those who missed the initial Beni hype, the little robot is advertised as a portable camera-equipped sidekick that follows a person wherever they go, taking what Mondo Robotics says is “high-quality video” the whole time. It is equipped with tracking, obstacle avoidance, and the ability to pick itself back up via its self-recovery system if it falls over. Part of that capability is also the ability to jump up to 10 inches, which allows it to do some tricks (which plays very well on camera); that also means Beni can climb stairs. Mondo Robotics says Beni can move up to 17.9 miles per hour.
Its ease of use is one of its biggest selling points: this final version of Beni promises to be ready to use out of the box in under five minutes.
While it’s cute to look at, Beni is first and foremost a camera robot. It can capture up to 4K video at 60 frames per second and can increase the frame rate to 120 frames per second with a dip down to 1080p Full HD. Of course, Mondo Robotics understands that modern content creators will want to capture content for Instagram or TikTok, and Beni also offers a 9:16 aspect ratio mode that captures 3K footage (1,728 × 3,072) at either 30 or 60 frames per second.
The Beni robot comes with 32GB of built-in storage, and footage beyond that can be stored on a microSD card.
“We designed Beni to reignite the curiosity and imagination in everyone, allowing them to sit back and take in life’s little moments. Mondo Robotics’ mission is to advance the robotics field and prove that complicated technology can be both impressive and accessible to the everyday user. Now that our first product, Beni, is available to users across the globe, they can have the ultimate sidekick to explore and play with. We can’t wait to see where you take it,” Shuo Yang, Co-Founder and CTO of Mondo Robotics, says.
The Beni robot is available directly from Mondo Robotics in two options. The Standard version, which costs $799, comes with the robot, motion tracker and wristband, Beni hat, chest protecting plate, and one battery. The Explore combo costs $959 and upgrades the kit with three batteries, a pair of off-road wheels, and a charging hub.
Image creditsMondo Robotics
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