LeJu Robot’s Pando Targets STEM Learning Market at IFA18

Allen W. Zhao of LeJu Robot, with Pando

LeJu Robot put the spotlight at IFA 2018 on its newest creation, Pando – a mini humanoid robot which Allen W. Zhao, the company’s CSO, says when it is launched, will target the educational STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) segment of the market. It will follow the Aelos1S, which launched in the spring; Pando is slated for late-September release.

Pando is endowed with emotive eyes, is controllable by gestures and touch, and is designed to engage and teach children aged 8 and over, emphasizing interactivity and task programming. It is also designed to facilitate built-in action programming or blockly programming – which mixes visual and text programming –via a smartphone app.

Pando is built with 16 flexible joints; its advanced bi-ped gait algorithm gives it the ability to dance, box and even play football and do yoga, says the company; it is also nimble enough to avoid obstacles in its way.

Its core technology is a LeJu-developed digital servo motor which combines with AI software algorithms. Zhao said that at a target price of $299, it is the first such robot to include a sophisticated feature packet at a competitive retail price versus other humanoid robots currently on the market.

Available as an option for Pando is a Bluetooth gamepad controller allowing remote control ($35); further iterations of Pando will likely include the ability for voice interaction, according to the company.