SunFounder PiDog AI Robot Dog Kit for Raspberry Pi 5/4/3B+/Zero 2W, LLMs ChatGPT-4o/Gemini/Grok, Voice&Video Recognition, Python, App Control, Battery, Gyroscope, Camera (RPI NOT Included)

A great educational kit to learn a bit about robotics and programming in Python and AI The kit is well put together with quality parts and clear instructions As for all the tiny fixings, there are ample spares to avoid any stress if you happen to lose or drop something The only caution is that this is the V1 kit for which the Raspberry Pi must be a Pi 4 or earlier If you want to use the Pi-5 then you must order the V2 kit which is currently only available directly from SunFounder and not from Amazon The V2 kit contains improved sensors and servos and has a lower power consumption to extend the life of a charged battery

Great kit robot dog, with excellent instructions, both paper and on line. Great fun to make and very educational

Version 1. Attractive design but let down by poor choice of servos. See forum about head and leg shakes. A robot with Parkinsons. The software is not well designed but has been written to include many difficult actions so the user can call them in their own scripts. The circuit board that controls the servos is only suitable for rpi4, not 5 but there is a better board for dog version 2. Be aware that the dog can turn left or right, but it is like wandering in a gentle arc, not a turn. As cheap kit robots go, it is as close as you will get to a pet dog that is brain dead, clumber, clatters pathetically around aimlessly. A disappointment for enthusiast and child alike. Enhanced programming will not overcome the limitations of this product. Far better results, in robot terms, will be achieved with a 4wd skid steer vehicle, because with programing, it will achieve far more.

Set aside a space to spread out all the components and tell your family you may see them in a month or so! Seriously, the PiDog was a present from my son and I love it. It took me a while to assemble it following the written instructions and the videos on YouTube but I am 67 years young and have never tackled anything like this before. I loved it! I did have help from my very techie son-in-law and as the RGB strip was faulty I had to contact SunFounder for a replacement. Their after sales was phenomenal! I can’t fault them or praise them enough. I’m aware I jumped in at the deep end having not done anything like this before and am just learning to use RaspberryPi but I would say don’t let that stop you. Order one today and have a great time with it.

The speaker failed with in 10 mins of completing programming. Looking at the forums this is a well known fault

Pidog just seems so happy, wagging his tail and doing superman and howling and trotting tricks. I watched the assembly videos and used the paper assembly instructions too - the two together complemented each other, and the only problems were where I failed to follow the instructions, which nevertheless were really good. You do need patience and good dexterity to build it - some parts are quite small and the screws and nuts for servos can be challenging. You want to think about building it as a fun challenge, like a puzzle, not as a chore full of difficulties, and you'll have a good time. It's not a simple build - there are about 70 steps, but all the parts are there and clearly labeled. The documentation is really well done - from the hardware build to how to install & run the software. The canned example programs are fun and pidog is perky and does fun stuff. It has so many sensors and behaviors. Support is good. There's a forum for asking questions and you get an answer in a day. I dropped Pidog and broke a neck servo, and also the speaker failed so no sound initially. Sunfounder shipped me replacement parts which arrived in about 2 weeks. I've run all the examples, and I'm working through the section where you create your own programs based on the source code they give you, and I find the function examples documentation clear. I suspect there's an API doc in there somewhere but haven't found it yet. It is not a software programming course, but rather a vehicle for trying python programming in a robot. Depending on your skill level with software you may spend more or less time trying to understand and re-create the sample code they give you. I'm an experienced roboticist and I was prepared to struggle and the whole experience turned out to be pleasantly problem-free. There will be learning experiences for those not so advanced - but that's why you choose a kit like this. But be careful not to give it so someone who doesn't have the right mind-set.

This is a fun project for those of you that are interested in robotics and are just getting your feet wet. The robot is surprisingly capable considering the low price. 12 servos and multiple sensors make it a complete package. The instructions were very good (if not a little fragmented) and all the parts were included with even a few spares. The video tutorial implies that you go straight to Step Two when installing the software. Do not skip Step One: update your system.

Ce kit est juste super comme les autres produits de sunfounder. Contenu de la boite avec des pieces en plus, packaging, documentation, vidéos, exemples. Des heures de plaisir en perspective en programmation et l'intégration du pidog avec chatGPT est juste géniale.

Ich nutze den PiDog mit einem Raspberry Pi und hatte leider von Anfang an Probleme mit dem IMU-Modul (Beschleunigungssensor). Der Gyro funktionierte, aber der Accelerometer lieferte keine gültigen Werte – Balance- und Pick-Up-Funktionen waren dadurch nicht nutzbar. Was ich wirklich hervorheben möchte: Der Support von SunFounder war absolut vorbildlich. Nach einer kurzen, aber sehr sachlichen Fehlerbeschreibung und ein paar gezielten Tests wurde schnell klar, dass es sich um ein defektes IMU-Modul handelte. Mir wurde ohne Diskussionen ein Ersatzmodul zugesendet. Nach dem Austausch funktioniert nun alles einwandfrei – IMU, Balance-Test, Beispiele, alles genau so, wie es soll. Gerade bei komplexeren Projekten mit Hardware + Software ist guter Support extrem wichtig, und hier wurde ich wirklich positiv überrascht. Freundlich, kompetent und lösungsorientiert. 👉 Klare Empfehlung – sowohl für den PiDog selbst als auch für den Hersteller.

Levering uitstekend (ondanks het slechte weer) Het product is ook prima, een aanrader voor de liefhebber!