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Hengbot’s AI LLM-Powered Open-Source Robot Dog is cheaper than an iPhone

Remember when robot dogs were either $75,000 industrial marvels that could open doors for the military, or $300 STEM kits that shuffled around like arthritic spiders? That middle ground between “mortgage your house” and “mildly entertaining paperweight” remained frustratingly empty, leaving most of us to admire Boston Dynamics videos from afar while wondering when we’d get our own mechanical companion. The robotics industry seemed content to serve either Fortune 500 companies or elementary school coding classes, with precious little consideration for the rest of us who wanted something genuinely capable without requiring a small business loan.

Enter Hengbot’s Sirius, priced at $699 and built like the robot dog we’ve all been waiting for since watching that first Aibo commercial in 1999. Sirius represents a fundamental rethinking of what consumer robotics can be when a company actually listens to what people want rather than what engineers think they should want. At just 1kg (2.2 lb) with 14 degrees of freedom powered by proprietary Neurocore joints, an open-source design, and AI LLM integration, this robot has the capacity to do things your 2004 Robosapien could only dream of. The company has already attracted 3,000+ beta testers and even secured the 2025 Red Dot Award: Product Design, forging a path that will potentially define what the consumer-grade robot market will look like in the future.

Designer: Hengbot

Click Here to Buy Now: $659 $1299 ($640 off). Hurry, only a few left! Raised over $308,000.

Constructed from aerospace-grade alloy, the chassis balances durability with weight efficiency in ways that cheaper plastic alternatives simply cannot match. The 2250mAh battery provides 40-60 minutes of active movement or 1-2 hours of standby time, while USB-C expansion ports future-proof the platform for accessories and modifications we haven’t even imagined yet. An 8-megapixel camera handles visual recognition tasks, enabling gesture-based interaction that feels surprisingly natural. An impressive 5 TOPS (Trillion Operations Per Second) of edge computing power packed into the AI head means Sirius processes voice commands, gestures, and visual input locally without the lag and connectivity dependence that plagues cloud-based systems. The 1000+ motion library gives you a foundation that keeps growing rather than getting stale after the first week.

What makes Sirius genuinely exciting goes beyond raw specs into personality and adaptability territory. The drag-and-drop visual programming interface means you can choreograph custom dance routines, teach new tricks, or modify behavioral patterns without touching a single line of code. Voice pack customization transforms Sirius from a generic robot into something that sounds and responds like your ideal pet, while swappable personas let you switch between different character archetypes like Husky, Corgi, or Border Collie depending on your mood. The RGB lighting system and animated facial expressions create an emotional connection that goes beyond mere functionality, making interactions feel genuinely engaging rather than mechanically transactional.

For creators and tinkerers, Sirius opens up a world of possibilities that goes way beyond out-of-the-box functionality. Python, C, and C++ support means serious developers can dive deep into custom AI behaviors, motion algorithms, and sensor integrations that would make any robotics engineer jealous. Blender integration lets you design custom shells and accessories that can be 3D-printed and swapped out whenever you get bored with the default look. Manual teaching modes let you physically guide Sirius through new movements, which feels surprisingly like training a real pet rather than programming a machine. The open-source approach means the community can share code, designs, and modifications, turning every owner into a potential contributor to Sirius’s evolution. The platform also supports 3D-printable shells, meaning the physical appearance can be as customized as the software behavior. Just don’t clad your Sirius with fur the way Boston Dynamics tried to, making their dog look creepy rather than cute.

The control options are where things get really interesting, catering to everyone from casual users to hardcore enthusiasts. VR headset integration transforms Sirius into your virtual avatar, letting you see through its camera while controlling movements with natural gestures. Traditional joystick control gives gamers the precise input they crave for complex maneuvers or competitive scenarios. The smartphone app offers the most accessible entry point, packing everything from basic commands to advanced programming tools into a familiar interface. Each control method unlocks different experiences, making intuitive control the strong focus here. After all, real dogs respond to a multitude of controls/cues too, whether they’re voice commands, actions, or even treats!

The pricing strategy here is genuinely aggressive in the best way possible, undercutting established players by thousands of dollars while delivering comparable or superior functionality. When Unitree’s Go1 starts around $2,700 and Boston Dynamics’ Spot costs more than most cars, Sirius’s promotional $699 price point represents a real shift in market accessibility. This democratization of advanced robotics technology means that hobbyists, educators, content creators, and curious families can finally access the kind of sophisticated robotic companions that were previously reserved for well-funded research labs and deep-pocketed corporations. This could potentially be the Oculus Rift moment for robot dogs, providing a truly consumer-grade device that’s both high-quality and affordable, undercutting the competition that’s hundreds (or thousands) of dollars more expensive.

Looking at the competitive landscape, Sirius carves out territory that didn’t previously exist. Petoi’s offerings remain firmly in the educational toy category, while professional platforms like Spot continue serving industrial applications. Sirius bridges these extremes with consumer-friendly pricing, professional-grade performance, and the kind of open platform philosophy that encourages rather than restricts experimentation. The result feels like the first robot dog designed for actual humans rather than either children or extreme industrial setups, acknowledging that most of us want something sophisticated enough to grow with us but approachable enough to enjoy from day one.

Hengbot’s timing couldn’t be better, arriving as AI capabilities mature and manufacturing costs drop while consumer appetite for interactive technology continues growing. The company’s proprietary Neurocore joint system integrates three degrees of freedom into a single unit, creating the biomimetic leg structure that enables Sirius’s uncanny movement realism. Just watch the video at the beginning of the article and you’ll know what we mean. The global entertainment robot market is expected to surpass $18 billion by 2032, driven by demand for emotionally intelligent, programmable companions. That can only happen when companies like Hengbot make robots actually affordable, pricing them around the same range as the average flagship smartphone instead of being as costly as an EV.

Click Here to Buy Now: $659 $1299 ($640 off). Hurry, only a few left! Raised over $308,000.

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Traditional boats meets modern seating in Sampan benches

One of the favorite places that I go to whenever I fly to Singapore is Holland Village. It represents a territory of mixed cultures, a village open to world travelers who, for a time or forever, have stopped in this Southeast Asian country. Each visitor imports a fragment of diversity that contributes to an eclectic and harmonious identity in perpetual evolution, whose Peranakan roots find contemporary expression through thoughtful design interventions like this new furniture collection.

Tommy Cheong’s Sampan furniture collection beautifully captures the essence of traditional Asian watercraft and transforms it into contemporary urban seating designed specifically for Holland Village. This innovative design concept draws inspiration from the iconic sampan boats that have navigated Asian waters for centuries, creating a stunning fusion of cultural heritage and modern functionality that celebrates Singapore’s multicultural identity.

Designer: Tommy Cheong

The Sampan benches serve as a tribute to this spirit of welcome, to the emulation felt by all travelers discovering a culture that they will end up making their own. Like boats approaching a new land, these benches participate in the dynamics of the place and the flow of passersby. They create an invitation to rest for a moment, enjoy the urban landscape, discuss and exchange perspectives from different cultural backgrounds. They are able to translate the essential characteristics of traditional boats into functional furniture that speaks to the country’s maritime heritage. Cut from slatted blocks of Tembusu wood, their oiled surface recalls the decks of the first boats that docked on the shores of Singapore. This material choice is particularly meaningful, as Tembusu is a native Southeast Asian hardwood known for its durability and beautiful grain patterns.

The construction process showcases meticulous attention to detail, with each piece carefully shaped using traditional woodworking techniques. The wooden tops celebrate the natural beauty of the material, while the colorful lacquered sides available in rich terracotta red and deep ocean blue express the diversity of origins that make up the local culture. Each wooden surface is carefully sanded and finished to achieve the perfect curve that defines the sampan’s distinctive profile. The benches come in three different sizes, allowing for flexible arrangements that can respond to various spatial needs.

Arranged in the form of a swarm, both organized and chaotic, they adapt to the nature of the place, in greater or lesser concentration depending on the environment and its requirements. The modular design allows for creative configurations that can transform public spaces into dynamic social environments. Whether clustered together to create intimate conversation areas or spread out to provide individual contemplation spots, the benches invite people to sit, rest, and connect with others while experiencing the multicultural tapestry of Holland Village.

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Mute Lamp concept brings minimalist and “silent” design

Most contemporary designs for lamps carry a lot of bells and whistles when designers would like to give many features to their consumers. But sometimes, there’s something profoundly refreshing about a design that embraces silence. There are certain ways of using minimalist designs while still having useful functionality, although sometimes it’s tough to balance the two. Enter the Mute Lamp by Sancho Martin, a striking floor lamp concept that challenges our expectations of what lighting can be.

The Mute Lamp isn’t just named for its quiet operation; it’s a meditation on restraint in an age of excess. A thin, precise, and contained structure defines the aesthetic of this concept. Its design follows a raw, industrial logic, where materials are stripped to their essence. This philosophy reflects a growing movement in contemporary design where less truly becomes more. The first impression we get is that the lamp appears almost impossibly simple: a slender metallic pole rising from a minimal base, crowned with a geometric light source. Yet this simplicity is deceptive. Every line, angle, and proportion has been carefully considered to create a piece that speaks through its very silence.

Designer: Sancho Martin

The lamp’s most striking feature is its commitment to linear minimalism. The main body consists of a single, uninterrupted vertical element that seems to defy gravity in its elegant thinness. This isn’t just an aesthetic choice; it’s a bold statement about the relationship between form and function. The light source can be positioned at various heights along the pole, creating different lighting scenarios for different needs. Whether you need focused task lighting or ambient room illumination, the Mute Lamp adapts without compromising its visual integrity.

True to its industrial logic, the Mute Lamp celebrates the inherent beauty of its materials. The polished metal surface reflects light subtly, creating gentle gradations of brightness that change throughout the day. There’s no attempt to disguise what the lamp is made of. Instead, the material becomes part of the aesthetic experience. The base, while minimal, provides necessary stability for the lamp’s impressive height while echoing the overall design language.

What sets the Mute Lamp apart from conventional floor lamps is how it treats light itself as a sculptural element. The LED light source, housed within a precisely engineered geometric form, casts illumination that feels both purposeful and poetic. The light doesn’t just brighten a space; it carves through darkness with architectural precision. Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the Mute Lamp is how it creates presence through absence. In a market saturated with smart lights that change colors, respond to voice commands, and sync with music, the Mute Lamp offers something revolutionary: simplicity. It doesn’t buzz with electronics or flash with notifications. Instead, it simply illuminates, allowing the space and its occupants to take center stage.

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Rotating Interactive Radius House Spins a New Vision for Adaptable Living

Most of us have fantasized about the perfect home at some point, but those dreams usually involve bigger kitchens or better views rather than fundamentally rethinking what a house can actually do. The Rotating Interactive Radius House by Michael Jantzen takes that fantasy and spins it into something genuinely revolutionary. This isn’t just another architectural concept that looks impressive in renderings but falls apart in real life.

Traditional homes are essentially static boxes that force us to work around their limitations rather than adapting to our needs. You get morning sun in the kitchen whether you want it or not, and that perfect sunset view might be blocked by the neighbor’s garage. Most houses are designed once and stay that way forever, which seems almost absurd when you think about how much our daily routines and preferences actually change.

Designer: Michael Jantzen

The Rotating Interactive Radius House flips this entire premise on its head with an elegantly simple solution. The design features curved panels that move around a central twenty-foot diameter glass and steel cylindrical structure, all secured to a large circular wooden deck. The curved panels slide along steel tracks, allowing residents to reconfigure their living space by simply pushing the panels into different positions around the central core.

What makes this concept particularly clever is how it transforms the relationship between indoor and outdoor spaces. Rather than being stuck with whatever orientation the original builder chose, residents can actively curate their environment throughout the day. The house becomes a tool for enhancing daily life rather than just sheltering it, turning something as mundane as adjusting for sunlight into an interactive experience.

Living in a house that literally moves with your moods sounds like science fiction, but the mechanics are surprisingly straightforward. The curved panels can be locked into position once you find the perfect configuration, while the central glass structure houses all the essentials including a bed, chairs, tables, food preparation area, and bathroom. You could reconfigure the panels to create privacy in the morning, open everything up for afternoon breezes, then adjust again for evening relaxation.

Jantzen’s vision goes beyond mere novelty to address something fundamental about how we interact with our living spaces. His approach to kinetic architecture suggests that homes should be as dynamic and adaptable as the people who inhabit them. The Rotating Interactive Radius House represents a broader movement toward modular, responsive design that puts user experience at the center of architectural thinking.

This kind of experimental architecture challenges every assumption we make about what houses should be and do. While most of us will probably never live in a rotating house, concepts like this push the boundaries of possibility and inspire more conventional builders to think creatively about flexibility and user control.

The Rotating Interactive Radius House proves that sometimes the most profound innovations come from asking the simplest questions. Why should our homes be static when our lives are constantly changing? Why accept limitations when technology can eliminate them? The answer, apparently, is that we shouldn’t, and the future of living spaces might be more dynamic than we ever imagined.

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Diva Mezza Utopia makes a case for being the ultimate wireless speaker

The Focal Diva Mezza Utopia represents a bold evolution in wireless high-fidelity audio, combining the French manufacturer’s legendary speaker craftsmanship with cutting-edge wireless technology. This all-in-one system eliminates the traditional complexity of audiophile setups while delivering reference-grade sound quality capable of filling large listening spaces up to 1076 sq ft.

At the heart of the Diva Mezza Utopia is an impressive driver configuration that showcases Focal’s expertise in acoustic engineering. Each speaker features four 8-inch ‘W’ cone woofers arranged in a push-push configuration, a step up from the previous model’s 6.5-inch drivers, helping to cancel unwanted vibrations and deliver deeper, more controlled bass. The midrange is handled by a dedicated 6.5-inch ‘W’ cone driver, while the high frequencies are reproduced by Focal’s signature beryllium tweeter with its distinctive M-shaped dome design.

Designer: Focal

The power behind this acoustic arsenal comes from a collaboration with Naim Audio, Focal’s sister company. Each loudspeaker is powered by three Naim Class A/B amplifiers: 90 watts to the tweeter, 30 watts to the midrange, and 280 watts to the four woofers, for a total of 500 watts per speaker. The electronics package includes a dual-stage power supply and an integrated heat sink in the rear panel to maintain optimal performance during extended listening sessions.

What sets the Diva Mezza Utopia apart from traditional high-end speakers is its wireless capability. Rather than relying solely on standard Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, Focal employs Ultra Wideband (UWB) wireless transmission technology, sending uncompressed 24-bit/96kHz audio between the left and right channels, maintaining timing and clarity typically reserved for wired setups. For those seeking even higher resolution, the system supports direct wired connections at up to 192kHz.

Visually, the Diva Mezza Utopia maintains Focal’s distinctive Utopia design language while introducing new aesthetic elements. The cabinet is constructed from dense polymer material shaped using a low-pressure molding process, allowing for both acoustic optimization and sculptural curves. The speaker sits on a two-level beveled base and features floating felt side panels in a soft ivory color, contrasting with the bold front grille in Focal’s signature “watch dial” motif.

The physical presence of these speakers is substantial, with each unit standing over four feet tall and weighing 192 pounds. This makes them ideal for large listening rooms where traditional bookshelf speakers might struggle to provide adequate coverage. Control is intuitive and flexible, available through the Focal & Naim app, voice assistants including Google Assistant and Siri, or the included Zigbee remote.

This user-friendly approach extends to the overall philosophy of the system, which aims to provide reference-grade audio performance without the complexity of separate components. For audiophiles who desire exceptional sound quality but prefer an elegant, streamlined setup over traditional component-based systems, these speakers offer a compelling solution that doesn’t compromise on acoustic performance.

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Lenovo Legion Go S with SteamOS Review: A New Era for Handheld Gaming

The handheld gaming revolution has reached a pretty interesting point where raw performance actually meets refined aesthetics. Gone are the days when portable gaming devices looked like they belonged in a sci-fi movie or some kind of medical lab. Today’s users want something more sophisticated, something that fits into their lifestyle without looking like a toy. The market has responded with devices that care about both form and function, finally understanding that we don’t want to choose between looking good and playing well.

Enter the Lenovo Legion Go S with SteamOS, a device that’s shaking up what we think a handheld gaming PC should look and feel like. This isn’t just another gaming gadget trying to grab attention in an already crowded space. Instead, it’s a thoughtful take on portable gaming that considers your entire experience, from the moment you pick it up to those marathon gaming sessions. But does this design-forward approach actually deliver something that’ll satisfy tech enthusiasts who know their stuff? Read on to find out.

Aesthetics

The Legion Go S with SteamOS immediately stands out by ditching the aggressive, angular designs that seem to dominate gaming hardware these days. At 22.6mm thick, it strikes a nice balance between feeling substantial and staying refined. The device feels purposeful when you hold it, and that thickness actually adds to the premium feel rather than making it feel chunky. It’s a smart approach that puts user comfort ahead of flashy looks.

Unlike the original Legion Go, the controllers are now permanently attached to the main body, creating this cohesive, unibody design that feels more like a well-crafted tool than some modular gaming contraption. This design choice gets rid of those visual breaks and seams that can make handheld devices look fragmented or cheap. The result is something that looks intentional and complete, with smooth transitions between different areas that just work together visually.

The color options are pretty thoughtful too. Glacier White gives you that clean, minimalist look that wouldn’t be out of place in a modern office or design studio. The finish catches light beautifully, creating subtle shadows that add depth to the whole thing. Then there’s a sophisticated black with subtle purple hints that show up under different lighting. It’s more dramatic but still refined, perfect for people who want something a bit more interesting than stark white.

Ergonomics

The Legion Go S really nails the ergonomics, with every curve and contour designed for those long gaming sessions without your hands cramping up. The 740g weight feels carefully balanced in a way that won’t strain your wrists during extended play. The anti-slip texture on the grip areas gives you confident handling without feeling rough or industrial. It’s that perfect balance between function and comfort.

The button placement shows they really thought about how your hands naturally rest and where your fingers want to go. Those Hall Effect RGB joysticks respond with precision that feels almost luxurious, while the adjustable trigger switches let you customize things for both comfort and performance. The large D-pad gives you that satisfying tactile feedback that makes navigation feel deliberate and controlled. Everything just works together to create an interface that feels right from the first time you use it.

When it comes to portability, this thing goes beyond just being the right size. It fits comfortably in most bags without taking over all your space, and those rounded edges prevent the sharp corners that can damage other stuff or dig into your leg. The 8-inch display might be bigger than some competitors, but it doesn’t hurt the fundamental portability. Instead, it gives you a more immersive visual experience that justifies the slightly larger size.

Performance

The technical guts of the Legion Go S with SteamOS center around either an AMD Ryzen Z2 Go processor or a higher-end Z1 Extreme, paired with 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM and a 512GB M.2 SSD. These specs deliver performance that consistently beats expectations, handling demanding games with remarkable smoothness. The 8-inch WUXGA display runs at 1920 x 1200 resolution with a 120Hz refresh rate, making games look crisp and responsive. The 500-nit brightness means you can see everything clearly in different lighting, while the 100% sRGB color accuracy delivers vibrant, true-to-life visuals.

What really sets this device apart is that Linux-based SteamOS, which completely transforms the experience compared to traditional Windows 11 handhelds. The operating system boots quickly and gives you a streamlined, gaming-focused interface that cuts out all the complexity and resource overhead of a full desktop environment. This focused approach means more system resources go to gaming, resulting in better performance and longer battery life than comparable Windows devices.

The thermal management system deserves some honest talk about its quirks. During intensive gaming sessions, those fans get noticeably loud and push genuinely warm air out of the device. This isn’t necessarily a problem, but it’s the reality of high-performance computing in a compact package. The cooling system works effectively to keep performance optimal, though you should expect some heat and noise during demanding gameplay. Battery life falls into the typical range for high-performance handhelds, giving you 2-6 hours depending on what you’re playing, which is pretty standard for this category rather than groundbreaking.

Sustainability

The Legion Go S shows solid construction quality that suggests it’ll last you a good while. The unibody design eliminates many potential failure points that plague devices with removable parts, while the premium materials used throughout feel robust enough to handle regular use. Those Hall Effect joysticks are particularly smart, as they’re way less prone to the drift issues that plague traditional controls.

Repairability is a bit of a mixed bag. The integrated controller design looks great and feels solid, but it means individual component replacement becomes more complex than with modular alternatives. However, that standard M.2 SSD slot lets you upgrade storage, and the overall build quality suggests major repairs should be rare. The device feels like it’s designed to age gracefully rather than need constant fixing.

The materials used throughout feel substantial and well-chosen, though there isn’t much prominent information about recycled content or sustainable sourcing. The device’s potential longevity is probably its strongest sustainability feature, since a well-built device that serves you for years means you won’t need frequent replacements. The SteamOS foundation also ensures ongoing software support and updates, extending the device’s useful life beyond what you might expect from more proprietary systems.

Value

Starting at $599.99 in some markets, the Legion Go S with SteamOS positions itself as a premium option that justifies its price through performance, design refinement, and user experience optimization. The device delivers measurably better gaming performance than many alternatives, while the SteamOS implementation provides a more focused and efficient experience than Windows-based competitors. The build quality and ergonomic attention add real value that becomes obvious during extended use.

The value goes beyond just raw specs to include the complete user experience. The refined aesthetics make it less showoff-y, though you’ll still stand out with a large gaming handheld, while the ergonomic considerations ensure comfortable extended use. The SteamOS implementation eliminates many frustrations associated with Windows-based handhelds, providing a more console-like experience that feels purpose-built for gaming rather than adapted from desktop computing.

When you look at the broader handheld gaming market, the Legion Go S offers a compelling combination of performance, design, and user experience that justifies its premium positioning. The device serves users who value both gaming capability and aesthetic refinement, delivering an experience that feels cohesive and well-considered rather than compromised by competing priorities.

Verdict

The Lenovo Legion Go S with SteamOS represents a mature approach to handheld gaming that puts user experience alongside raw performance. The device succeeds in creating a cohesive, refined experience that feels distinctly different from the utilitarian approach of many gaming handhelds. While it has some inherent limitations, including thermal characteristics and battery life that align with industry norms rather than exceeding them, these feel minor when weighed against the device’s overall accomplishments.

For users who appreciate thoughtful design, ergonomic refinement, and a streamlined gaming experience, the Legion Go S with SteamOS offers compelling value. It’s the kind of device that gets better the more you use it, revealing thoughtful details and design decisions that enhance your daily experience. This isn’t just a gaming device that happens to look good. It’s a carefully considered piece of technology that respects both your time and aesthetic sensibilities while delivering the performance you need for serious gaming.

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