PhoneBot

UCLA researchers have introduced PhoneBot, an open-source robot body costing around $400 that turns an old smartphone into a walking robot. The phone supplies the brains, screen and sensors, while the printed body provides the legs, making basic robotics far cheaper for hobbyists, students and labs. Coverage highlights the reuse of discarded devices and the project's open-source design.

A new robot called PhoneBot uses old Android smartphones as its brain, harnessing the phones' cameras, sensors, and processors to walk, see, and balance. By repurposing discarded devices instead of custom electronics, the project highlights a low-cost approach to robotics that also tackles electronic waste. Interest centres on how everyday consumer hardware can power capable, affordable robots.