About BeatBots

BeatBots LLC develops robotic characters that defy entrenched notions of robots as impersonal mechanical tools. The company’s core design philosophy centers around cuteness, personality, simplicity, and rhythmic interaction. BeatBots is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in a growing nexus of innovative robotic technology and artistic activity.

The company was founded in 2007 by Marek Michalowski, a doctoral student in the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, and Dr. Hideki Kozima, formerly a Senior Research Scientist at Japan’s National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) and currently a professor at Miyagi University. The two worked together on Keepon, a robot used for over five years in peer-reviewed research on social development and interpersonal coordination as well as in therapeutic practice for children with developmental disorders such as autism.

BeatBots’ products span the domains of research, therapy, and entertainment. The first product, developed in collaboration with NICT and Kokoro Dreams, is Keepon Pro, a commercially available platform for institutional use in research and education. Keepon Pro consists of hardware and software for situating and operating the robot in laboratory or playroom settings for study or therapeutic practice, in exhibit-like settings for educational or entertainment purposes, or in settings and applications of the user’s own design.

Keepon’s simple appearance and dynamic behavior have been embraced by children, parents, and practitioners alike. These same qualities have made Keepon resonate with a general audience through internet exposure and public engagements. This bridge between the worlds of research and entertainment defines the BeatBots vision.

Keepon has quickly gained wide recognition by the public and in the media. Keepon won the €10,000 Robots at Play Prize in 2007 in Odense, Denmark and the ICRA Human-Robot Interaction Challenge in 2008 in Pasadena. Keepon has been exhibited at WIRED NextFest 2007 in Los Angeles, at the Nordic Exceptional Trendshop in 2008 in Aarhus, Denmark, at the Webby Film & Video Awards in 2008 in NY, at the Carnegie Science Center’s Robot 250 Block Party in 2008 in Pittsburgh, and at WIRED NextFest 2008 in Chicago. Research involving Keepon has been published in numerous international conferences and journals, including Progress in Brain Research and the International Journal of Social Robotics. Keepon has appeared in news outlets such as History Channel, USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, SPIN, Gizmodo, Engadget, BoingBoing, Pitchfork, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, New Scientist, PBS, ABC, NHK, and NPR.

Contact BeatBots at info@beatbots.org.