You might have already seen commercial security robots patrolling public spaces, but there’s now something similar, albeit much smaller, for home users: a low-cost OEM “Intelligent Mobile Monitoring Robot”, sometimes sold as the “Blinky Bot”.
It’s essentially a battery-powered, two-lens Full-HD PTZ security camera mounted on a robot chassis with track wheels, allowing it to roam the house or a specific room. It supports microSD cards and cloud storage, features WiFi for remote control and two-way calling, and implements AI-powered motion detection and notifications.
“Intelligent Mobile Monitoring Robot” key features and specifications:
- Storage – 32GB to 256GB microSD card and cloud storage
- Camera
- Dual-lens “wide-angle” (87°) design with 2MP/1080p resolution
- PTZ (Pan-Tilt-Zoom) – 360° horizontal and 90° vertical rotation
- HD night vision
- H.265 video encoding
- Audio – Two-way call enabled
- Connectivity – 2.4 GHz WiFi
- AI features
- Pet interaction – Automatic pet behavior tracking, “one-touch voice commands”, built-in laser
- AI-powered motion detection and notifications (human presence detection)
- Misc
- Crawler wheels
- Reset button
- On/off button
- Power Supply
- 5V via USB-C port for charging
- Battery – Long battery life
- Dimensions – 14.5 x 13 x 11.5cm
- Weight – 440 grams
- IP Rating – IP66; suitable for indoor and outdoor (e.g. balcony) operation
The mobile robot & security camera device ships with a power adapter, a USB cable, and a user manual. We are shown various photos with an app showing the two cameras in action, but are just told to scan the QR code on the package, or search for the Blinky Bot Camera app on Google Play or Apple Store, which is all good except it does not exist. After reading several descriptions on AliExpress stores, I finally found out that the robot relies on the V360 Pro app for Android or iOS, with fairly mixed reviews.
Note that the photos in the various shops make the robot much larger than it is. The video embedded below gives a better idea of its true size. It does not look too sturdy, and I feel like it’s more like a toy than a proper security camera. It could easily be kicked out by burglars or pets…
I first found the “Intelligent Mobile Monitoring Robot” on Banggood for $38.99, you’ll also find it on AliExpress (about $30) and Amazon ($49.99). The 4G model is harder to find, but it looks like it can be found on Walmart or Amazon (TBC).
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.
Support CNX Software! Donate via cryptocurrencies, become a Patron on Patreon, or purchase goods on Amazon or Aliexpress. We also use affiliate links in articles to earn commissions if you make a purchase after clicking on those links.
One of the images mentions presence of a sim card slot, but there is no mention of it in the article.
Also it is very unlikely to support some cellular tech at such a low price.
Once you learn how to read, a whole new world opens to you.
Well I remember I did a text search with “sim” on the page and nothing showed up.
Also I vaguely remember the absence of any note below the image.
“SIM” is mentioned below the second image, and SD is mentioned a few times in the text (two I think, as microSD).
That’s not fair. You can use AI to write.
What is inside? What SoC, what sensor? Where is UART on the board? Where is JTAG? What firmware it runs on? Is it Linux? Is it RTOS? Useless review.
You want a teardown, not a review. Teardown requires access to physical access to a unit. Maybe someone will order one and supply pictures.
This seems cool other than the built in software. Does anyone know if it is possible or easy to write your own firmware and app or web interface for it?
Hard to know until somebody with a unit does a teardown.