Hengbot Sirius is a small AI robotic dog that can be trained by users with “manual teaching” and by developers using tools such as Sirius Creator Studio Pro and C or Python APIs. Features include an 8MP camera, a dual-mic array, and a speaker for user interaction using LLMs, text-to-speech, voice recognition, and computer vision leveraging the built-in 5 TOPS AI accelerator, a small LCD, a few RGB LEDs and sensors, and 14 DoF for legs and the head.
We’ve seen plenty of other robot dogs over the years, such as the Hiwonder MechDog, the Raspberry Pi CM4-based CM4 XGO Lite smart robot dog, Mini Pupper 2, and Petoi Bittle, among others. Most are more robot-like than dog-like, and the Sirius has a more appealing design closer to a real dog.
Hengbot Sirius specifications:
- SoC – Unnamed but likely Horizon Robotics Sunrise X3
- CPU – Quad-core Arm Cortex-A53 @ 1.2-1.5 GHz
- AI accelerator – 5 TOPS BPU
- System Memory and Storage – TBD
- Display – 1.8-inch high-contrast LCD
- Audio
- 8Ω 2W speaker
- Stereo microphone
- Camera – 8MP camera up to 1080p resolution
- Wireless – 2.4/5GHz WiFi and Bluetooth 4.2
- USB – 2x USB Type-C ports (1x for debugging, one for peripheral expansion); located on the back of the head
- Degrees of Freedom – Head: 2; Leg: 3 axes per leg (total of 14 axes)
- Sensors
- Dot-matrix ToF distance sensor
- 6-axis IMU posture sensor
- Built-in high-precision magnetic encoders & temperature sensors
- Misc
- Full-color RGB light strip for backlight
- Two RGB LEDs for ears
- Power LED
- Power Supply
- USB PD charging (30W adapter provided); charge time: 50 to 60 minutes
- 2250mAh battery for 40 to 60 minutes (active) or 100 to 120 minutes (standby)
- Built-in BMS with temperature protection
- Dimensions – 270 x 150 x 250mm (290mm with tail)
- Weight – About 1kg
The robotic dog ships with a user manual, a charger, a USB-C cable, and – in the premium version – a battery and a remote controller. The robot can walk, dance, and more or less act like a real robot (see video below), recognizing familiar faces such as his owners and friends and barking when meeting strangers. You can also converse with the dog in English or other languages…
Users can make use of the Sirius Creator Studio Pro program to change the RGB LEDs’ behavior, the expression on the LCD display, teach the robot’s new movements through manual learning, an AI chatbot, or directly in the program, and more. The company mentions 1000+ motion libraries, and you’d also be able to publish your own or download a motion from the community.
Advanced users can purchase the EDU version of the robot with access to ROS 2’s C/C++ and Python API.
The company sent a review unit to several news outlets, and I happened to read the one from Gizmodo. It’s mostly a (superficial) user review since it doesn’t mention anything about Sirius Creator Studio Pro and the C/C+ and Python API, and the robot was mostly tested with its remote controller. The reviewer found out the robot would fall too often, had issues with WiFi connectivity, and was not too impressed by voice commands.
Hengbot has launched the Sirius AI robotic dog on Kickstarter with a $5,000 funding target that’s been easily surpassed with over $600,000 pledged so far. The Super Early Bird reward required a $859 pledge for the Hengbot Sirius PRO with access to Sirius Creator Studio Basic, Sirius App God View, an extra battery, and a Bluetooth joystick. However, if you want to do any development on the robot, you’ll need to go with the “Hengbot Sirius EDU” for $1,059. This perk adds access to “Sirius Creator Studio Pro | Masterpiece Edition”, a developer access license, R&D hardware protection valid one time (in case you damage the robot during programming), direct-to-expert technical support, and a private engineering & developer group. Shipping varies from $15 to $100, and deliveries are scheduled to start in October 2025.
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
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