CM4 XGO-Lite Robot Dog Kit review
By Rob Zwetsloot. Posted
We’ve seen a small explosion of dog-like robot kits over the past few years, although we cannot put a finger on what might have started it. Perhaps the cuteness of a four-legged pet is hard to resist when you can program it yourself, which brings us to the very powerful XGO line of robot kits.
Unlike a lot of a robot kits, this one has metal construction throughout, making it chunky and weighty in the satisfying way quality technology can be. It also comes all pre-assembled so you won’t be bending any metal plates or doing any complicated wiring to get it working, like with other legged robots.
Smart dog
At its core is a powerful Compute Module 4, controlling the robot and allowing for reprogramming with custom code over a web browser – although you can also plug it into a monitor (or go a VNC route) if you want and program it the old-fashioned way. There are several bits of example code that illustrate the impressive features of the robot, such as facial recognition with the inbuilt camera, remote control, and more. There’s a full breakdown of the Python commands on the quite detailed documentation, and it even has a block code editor for people not quite up to speed on Python.
It’s definitely a very well put together product, although it’s not the most stable looking robot we’ve ever seen. The price is also a little eyewatering, but we think the tech inside justifies it, especially if you’re looking for a more advanced bit of kit.
Verdict
9/10
A very impressive robot kit that while fine for beginners may be better suited to those already into robotics due to the price.
Specs
Size: 250 mm × 145 mm × 170 mm while standing, 620g
Limbs: Four walking limbs and one gripper allowing for 15 degrees of movement, and three on the arm
Programming languages: Blockly, Python, ROS
Battery: 2500 mAh lithium ion battery with 120 minute life
Rob is amazing. He’s also the Features Editor of Raspberry Pi Official Magazine, a hobbyist maker, cosplayer, comic book writer, and extremely modest.
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