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| Product: Cye |
Company: Probotics |
| Web: www.personalrobots.com |
Phone: 412-322-6005 |
| Platform: Win95/98/NT(?) |
SRP: US$845-$995
Street Price: same |
Cred Rating: | Special Award: Object Value |
[Editor's Note: We wanted to hold off on a Cye review till we had a chance to check out the new Cye-sr and cordless Cye Vacuum. We got these, but Street Tech Labs (read: Gareth and Blake's house] is in a state of flux [we just moved], so we have no place to set the Cye up. We decided to go ahead and write a basic Cye review now (based on the original model and original corded vacuum attachment) and do a more in-depth piece on the new! improved! Cye when the Lab is back in business. We can tell you that the Cye cordless vacuum looks awesome and is an obvious huge improvement over the original technology. We've really fallen in love with Cye and the child-like enthusiasm of its inventors and can't wait to see what's in store for the future. Keep an eye on these guys ... and on this space for future Cye news and reviews. - The Mgt.]
Ever wanted a robot that could putter around the house, carry food and drinks around at a party, even vacuum, all for under $1000!? Well, just in time for the new millennium, you can have your wish -- sort of. Meet Cye, an inexpensive little mechanical pet on wheels (or spikes to be more exact).
Unlike other attempts at home robots, Cye doesn't depend on fancy sensors or expensive on-board computers. It uses your PC's brain to power it. Cye has a radio receiver and your Windows PC is outfitted with an antenna (that attaches to the serial port). Really cool mapping software is used to teach your bot its new surroundings. As you move the cursor around the screen, Cye sniffs out its territory. You tell it where you want it to go and what's off-limits (by marking out danger zones). Once Cye has learned the rooms of your house, you can use the easy and fun software to program routines (go to the kitchen to pick up dinner and deliver it to the dining room, vacuum Blake's room, etc.).
Unfortuantely, Cye doesn't have arms, so it can't get sodas from the fridge. Yet. It still needs human helpers. It has a optional cart attachment ($90) for hauling plates, cups and silverware, and there's an optional cordless upright vacuum ($130). It might not do the best job in the world, but it can help keep your dog and cat hairs down, if nothing else.
Cye has a hard time on wood floors, and seems most comfortable on carpet. The latest version of the Cye software improves its navigation on wood. The new Cye-sr ($845) adds sound response, so you can order it around by giving clap commands. It even dances to music! As a holiday special, Cye-sr, the vacuum and the cart are available for $995.
I spent hours, the first day we got it, playing with the various features. It was very fun teaching it, but was frustrating dealing with slipping on insufficient flooring. Probotics, makers of Cye, is a really cool company that seems very enthusiastic about constantly improving their robots. I can't wait to see future upgrades. The company has future plans for a Cye webcam, a how-to site with all sorts of cool hardware hacks suggested by Probotics and Cye users and other nifty stuff. Their website already has a small community of devoted Cye fans ... like me!
- Blake Branwyn Maloof [11/18/99]
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