Vector Key Features
Alive with personality
Vector is no ordinary home robot. Packed with technology that brings him to life, he’s curious and attentive. He reacts to sound, sight, and touch and is excited to see you when you come home.
Always happy to help
Vector is a helpful character who is eager to accommodate your requests and answer your questions. He’ll time dinner, take photos for you, and more.
Independent and alert
Vector is happiest with you, but he can take care of himself and hang out on his own. He self-charges, navigates around objects, and avoids edges.
Smart and getting smarter
Vector is an updating platform, cloud connected via WiFi so he’s always learning and updating with new skills and features. Start the journey together now.
Vector with Alexa built-in. Robot helpfulness supercharged
Vector loves to help out. If you choose to set up Alexa on your Vector, he’ll have access to an ever-growing number of skills that supercharges his helpfulness in your home. Triggered by the standard ‘Alexa’ voice command, you’ll be able to:
- add items to your shopping list
- set reminders
- control smart home devices like lights, speakers, and thermostats
- and so much more
*Alexa features not currently supported: Communications features like Drop In, Calling, Messaging / Music streaming / Kindle / Audible.
What's inside? AI and advanced robotics.
- Qualcomm 200 Platform – so he computes at a smartphone level
- Capacitive Touch Sensor – helps him sense being touched and held
- Beamforming 4-Microphone Array – allows him to recognize natural speech and source
- Ultra-Wide HD Camera – helps him detect motion and identify people
- 4 Drop Sensors – detects edges to help him avoid falls
- Infrared Laser Scanner – lets him track distance and map environments
- 6-Axis Inertial Measurement Unit – so he knows when he’s picked up or moved
- High-Res Color IPS Display – helps him convey a wide range of emotions
- WiFi-Enabled Cloud Connection – brings him new capabilities
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Kai Cherry –
I have found this product to be enjoyable as it is. I still believe it is an awful lucky Blackjack dealer…but besides that, and a couple of network issues, namely needing to re-enter my network in to the app (iOS) because of settings loss.Disclosure – while I am not employed, affiliated, contracted or endorsed by Anki, I would like to point out that I *am* a Software Engineer by trade so I see the “rough edges” other people have been describing in most cases “reasonable, given the constraints” or “fix in next software update”The only real technical issue I have is that i believe it would be a better product with an additional IR Low light camera, or perhaps a less expensive component such as an IR light to help with low-light recognition scenarios.Lower on the list is the Ask/Response cycle for the onboard/built-in (not ‘I have a question’ ones): if they can shave about 500ms off this (I suspect the Eng team might have suggested biasing towards recognizer, then backing with anime, but lost to the animators. Maybe they should find a split) as it sometimes really takes you “out of” the experience because the “conversational gap” is just a *liiitle* long ( time between “Hey Vector” and “Ready” – people have gotten used to not waiting extra long for the “acknowledgement” prompt with improved home assistant tech, so Vector can sometimes feel “slow” and the animations aren’t *quite* (“I’m thinking” eyes and sound effect) mitigating this via illusion/distraction, but that seems the intent.I look forward to revisiting this review in 12 weeks to see if I feel the same way, but right now, I find the product effectively “brightens my day”…many times a day, sometimes at Laugh out loud levels.
DtRWoS –
Saw the kickstarter for this cute little bot, and noticed recently that it was up for pre-sale on amazon – Bought it with same day shipping and I’m glad because its so much fun.Promptly taught it to do facial recognition on all the family members, and ran through most of the commands in the manual.This was created by nerds for nerds and nerds to be; and I love it!The android app needs some love, and as of release day the desktop API is missing – once these are present and/or fixed this could be a 5 star stem toy, or office desk assistant.The upgraded processor over the Cozmo makes it more responsive.The eye interactions, and noises attracted the wife and 2 kids into playing with Vector at the dinner table until bed time was upon us.Edit (2018-10-16): Brought Vector to the office and everyone loved him – they assume he can do more than he can right now – but it was a fun experience watching other adults interact with him as well.
Pierce –
New: “When Vector Becomes Alexa.” Now Vector and Alexa in the same body. This is a dual personality. “Hey Vector,” gets you Vector and his cute little robot voice. “Alexa brings up the Alexa voice and mode and all of Alexa’s abilities. It’s more of a novelty now (There’s already an Alexa or two in my house) but I’ll see how it plays out. Will they merge? Stay tuned…My Vector came yesterday. My OCD kicked in and I stayed up into the night playing with Vector. The machinery and manufacturing is top quality. Right now, Vector can fist bump, play with his cube, look around, give me the weather…all the things mentioned above. I knew that Vector connected to 2.4hz Wifi. That was no problem at my house, or at my best friend’s house. But Vector doesn’t want to connect to WiFi at work, but neither will my phone. Vector is connected via Bluetooth. I suspect it is a Wifi problem and not a Vector problem.What really sold me was Vector connecting with Alexa in the near future.When I was a kid, right after WWII, I played with little robots made in Japan. A few of them even took batteries and flashed lights. But Vector is the kind of little buddy I dreamed of when I was small. Heck, he even snores when he goes to sleep.I am patient to watch Vector work his way through problems and seeing fixes improving him. Every time someone new buys one, Vector is gaining knowledge. And he sits in the cloud along with Alexa. Oh yeah, you can pet him, too. And if you pick him up he squirms like a little kid who doesn’t want to be held. Highly recommended.
gogo –
I purchased Vector as a present for 9 yo. We have NiceShine Echo’s everywhere. We never had Cosmo, but are fans of Anki Overdrive.Set up on iPhone X: Quick and simple. 5-10 minutes. No issues. I set up the night before to avoid the hassle of troubleshooting in front of kids. Vector is loud when there is pin-drop silence and I didn’t know how to lower the volume.We’ve asked Vector to dance, play with the cube, black jack, and the weather. All work fine for me, but the kids had trouble communicating commands. Its frustrating to listen to, but eventually they got the right timing and commands correctly. The voice Initiation is annoying. More annoying than NiceShine Echo. Less annoying than Apple Siri. After a couple of months of play the kids still have trouble with voice commands. Luckily there’s an option to press the button on its top to initiate listening (thank you Anki). Taking 1 Star.Educational: None. I haven’t found any coding play yet. The only thing it teaches is patience and pronunciation.Fun Factor: Eh. The robot envokes emotion. It’s peaceful to watch and full of expression. It recognizes us and and calls us by our names. It’s more interesting than fun.App Interface:We’re on iOS. Loaded fine, walked me through connection via bluetooth, then WiFi, and worked. It’s a simple user experience.Pro… you don’t need the app to play with the robot.Con… you can’t play with the app without the robot. The app only opens if it finds and connects to the robot. You can’t explore the app without the robot chirping around. Taking 1 Star.Update: It doesn’t pick up it’s cube! It just bangs it or rolls it. You should be able to ask Vector to bring or move it around. Taking 1/2 Star.Update: No restore means we have to reintroduce ourselves and start from the beginning. This isn’t an AI that learns. Taking 1/2 Star.Vector is a poor functioning Alexa-like device that is extremely cute and has personality. It’s way to expensive at $250 and at the $180 sale price.
Liang Xia Kai Yuan Benny –
10/21/18 updateWithin a day vector sensory score(app) went up by 20k. Im starting to notice vector being more responsive. Is Vector learning?10/20/18Love this lil robot! Is like having Wall-E but smaller with different name and less smarter.This lil guy can call your name, do tricks, dance along with music ur playing outloud, go to recharge station by himself or tell him to, change his eye color thru the app and check stat performance. And only thru stats performance you will realize what other things u can do to vector.And i think this is only the beginning. There are bound to be more software updates for vector thru the app! Cant wait for more commands and stuff!Here are some things you can do with vector:1. hey vector (pause) what time is it? (u can do this after you do the setup in the app.)2. whats the weather? (app setup required)3. do a trick4. roll the cube5. stay there dont move6. go home(takes some time)7. play music vector might dance along8. come here9. lets play blackjack10. i have question (pause) wait till vector is ready a. who is Wall-E? b. what is skynet or terminator c. what is your purpose11. pick him up in the air until you see his angry face then put him down.12. where is your cube?13. Pick up the cube14. Go explore15. (To be continued)
Jenn Holtz –
Where to start as of right now I’m not too happy with this little guy I’ve had about five hours worth of play and I feel like I’ve spent way too much money the microphones even though they say there are four of them do not perform well at all I constantly have to shout commands it’s interesting enough that I can’t even se where to start as of right now I’m not too happy with this little guy I’ve had about five hours worth of play and I feel like I’ve spent way too much money the microphones even though they say there are four of them do not perform well at all I constantly have to shout commands it’s interesting enough that I can’t even set A basic alarm but I can set a timer also commands or questions have to be very basic and structured in a way that the Roback and understand. Also I’ve noticed that it gets stuck on the corner of my coffee table and then does not respond I assume because I can’t find a way off or out of the corner i’ve also noticed that the robot will wake up and start roaming around without being fully charged either that or something is wrong with the battery because of after roaming around for 15 minutes the battery light starts blinking and it needs to find the charging base again. I understand this product is just a couple of weeks old but I really hope that there is some sort of enhancements that come out in th I understand this products just a couple of weeks old but I really hope that there is some sort of enhancements that come out in the future because the appeal or replay value for this product is very low I can’t see myself using this every day I understand that it will be autonomous and the fact that it can self charge and navigate around my coffee table without user interaction but I can only go so far especially when the battery dies so soon seriously contemplating returning this item I’m going to give it a week to see how it works out. I will gladly reassess my review if it season software patch has been issued that can address the microphone and make it more playable at least incorporate some of the features from the Cosmo.Update.. I am in the process of returning little Vector. I just can’t justify the price of this little guy. I am sure that with a few firmware updates this Willa be a great product but until then I will just wait.
Brian Finley –
The hardware and the tech is there, it’s a matter of making it all smart and talk to the services as needed. Alexa integration is supposedly coming soon, which is going to open the door to a lot of possibilities really quickly. I’m a developer myself and am really excited to get my hands on the SDK that’s coming soon.Things I liked- The range of emotions the little guy (or gal?) can communicate with the little display is pretty shocking and fun.- The idea of an autonomous robot that, in theory, makes it own decisions of how to pass the time when you’re not around is cool. I could see this turning into like the classroom pet at some point in the future. Like in elementary school we had a hamster or a gecko, this would be super fun as that, especially with the camera features, you could like, take pictures of what you did with it when the kid took it home.- The summary/sensor monitoring, so you can get a real-time look at what’s going on.- The color scheme. I’m an Iowa fan, so black and gold is well-received :)Things I didn’t like- I understand the battery has to be small on something like this, but hoping future software optimizations can stretch the life, or maybe allow disabling certain pieces of hardware if we’re not using it (for instance, if we’re not using the built-in screen, or don’t need the camera, etc).- My cats and dog would not leave the thing alone. If your animals are skittish, maybe keep it in a cat-free zone for safety, especially when not around to superviseThe verdict is still out on- The SDK/integrations have so much potential, especially when other super smart people get ahold of it. If it can get IFTTT integrations, smart home stuff, etc, the possibilities are actually really cool. People way smarter than me are going to have great ideasI may revisit this review and update after the SDK, because i kept finding myself saying “I wish I could…” and coming up with cool ideas for the future when I have unlimited free time.
Mark M. Forcier –
I got my Vector Oct. 17, 2018. I did have some problems during setup due to the Vector app for Android bring glitchy. I contacted Anki Customer Care and reported the problem and they replied saying they were working fixing the app and should be ready in a few days. Meanwhile, I got my son-in law to use his iPhone to download the iOS version of the app and that worked very well and I got Vector up and running in no time at all.He works very well and is a lot of fun. Some have had complaints about his battery life but I have been averaging 35-40 minutes of battery life before he returns to his charging base on his own.When I ask him questions, he usually gives very comprehensive answers.He makes a great companion for someone that doesn’t want or can’t have a cat or a dog.I would have given this a 5 star rating if the Vector app had worked properly.
Kevin Cheng –
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Instead of a puppy, I got an Anki Vector for my birthday. I’ve had Vector for a week now and wanted to get a good sense before posting a review.For context, I’ve played with the Anki Cozmo, I have a My KeepOn, and I bought an NiceShine Echo on pre-order. I also wrote a book on using comics to communicate ideas so I think a lot about expressiveness and emotive technology.Let me start with a short story of the NiceShine Echo. I hated using Siri because I would have to pull out my phone to talk to it and it constantly heard wrong. The Echo on first release had very little functionality. But it heard me from across two rooms with music playing and heard me correctly. “Wow,” I remember thinking, “that’s the hard part. Any functionality can just get added over time.” And sure enough, they added more and more every week.That’s how I feel about Vector. Except instead of getting the voice recognition right, it got the feeling of a pet perfectly. Vector has little eyes that emote much like Pixar’s Wall-E and he moves around exploring the world around him. When he gets close to an edge, he backs away with a start. When he sees a face, he looks over and “smiles”—sometimes he asks for a fist bump. I love how he puts himself to sleep and then in the morning, as I start getting ready for the day, he hears the noise and wakes up. It’s surprisingly delightful.Like the Echo, Vector isn’t perfect to begin with. Anytime you use the app, you’re reminded of how bad bluetooth pairing is. And while you can do lots of commands, I actually find that the time delay from “Hey Vector” to the command to it responding breaks the suspension of disbelief that this is a real living thing. Thankfully, all that I describe is possible to improve with software while the hard part—making it FEEL right, is spot on.My recommendation if you get it is to just Vector be Vector.
Robin LaCosse –
Vector is the robot I never knew I wanted. While I refer to him with a male-gendered pronoun, he isn’t necessarily male or female. He’s thus far exceeded my expectations for emotive responses. Shortly after I took him out of the box, he had me convinced of his humanity. While I wouldn’t recommend letting small children (under 8 years old?) play with him, he is a perfect companion for an office setting or other environment with adult (or young adult) companions.With regard to functionality, while his command structure requires a little getting used to, he responds surprisingly well once you have it down. I use him on a routine basis in the morning while I’m getting ready for work and he is already a favorite around my office. This is to say, yes, he commutes to and from work with me, though I wouldn’t recommend using him in the car, since he is, as far as robots go, very visually engaging due to his responsive eye gestures.Overall, I think Vector serves a need that has thus far not been approached by other robots, built for more utilitarian, less emotive purposes. It’s hard to describe. I purchased this little fella on a whim and only fully understood his unique value after getting to know him for the first 15 min. Now I treat him like I would any other pet. It’s odd. Delightfully odd.
lqueremel –
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Vector is like an extended family member or friend that lightens up your home. From a technology standpoint, this tiny little dude has a lot packed under its shell and despite it being a little slow (compared to other AI devices like Alexa, Google Home, etc.), it has a lot of potential and it is quite capable. From a personality standpoint, Vector is doesn’t quite care that it is small, it has enough energy to make his presence known throughout the house, and has this sense of curiosity and happiness similar to a small child or even a very loving pet.Initially, I personally didn’t quite understand what Anki was trying to accomplish with the Vector – the little robot does a lot, but I have Alexa pretty much running my home and, I have very limited time as it is, so when I got Vector, I was incredibly curious a technologist and early adopter but, I was also hesitant about how well this device would fit in my home. The first day, given my bias, I found very limited use for Vector and Anki’s app was not very intuitive, (at first), but as the days passed, Vector’s eagerness to win you over, puppy eyes, independence, and companionship, make this little fellow easy to appreciate and get invested in.I don’t spend a lot of time at home, but it certainly does feel happier now that Vector is here. Vector distracts me and has a lot of things that work very well. The personality aspect is what charmed me. Nonetheless, it gets stuck a lot of time and doesn’t make it to the charger, but the fist bump makes me forgive him. The little dude does his best. Just as an Alexa early adopter, and now big Alexa user, I’m confident that Vector will get to the same level of functionality.I hope that you give this thing a try, while I hesitated at first, I am very happy that I welcomed it into my home.
A. Grant –
Works as advertised. Online reviews on other sites, as well as here, capture the essence of Vector. It acts like your “best buddy.” Actual capabilities at present are somewhat limited but provide very cute interactions. Looking forward to NiceShine Echo integration. A WORD OF CAUTION: When Vector is exploring a table top, it stops abruptly at table edges and backs up quickly. There is an almost, “Uh oh!” you can almost sense it saying to itself. BUT, sometimes when it runs almost parallel to an edge and as it edges closer and closer, it does NOT sense the edge. Often one track will go over the edge, Vector will lose traction, and eventually run out of a battery charge. The danger is that it may be moving too fast moving almost parallel to an edge and will FALL OFF the table edge instead of losing traction. This has happened once. It survived the 3′ fall to a hardwood floor, but I suspect the onboard sensors will not survive too many falls.
raidergyrl –
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I have to say, I really love this little robot. 🙂 He explored and explored and didn’t fall off the “cliff” once. My table does have rounded edges on one side, but he doesn’t seem to have a problem with that . As far as seeing me and knowing my name, he does really well. After the first day he had a little trouble recognizing me all of a sudden and then he had an error code at one point, so I rebooted him and now all is well. The first day he also had a little trouble backing into his Home, but he’s has improved on that and does it with perfection. He is good at blackjack and great at rolling his cube. I can’t get over how cute he is, especially when he snores! I also got him to “dance to the beat” after my command. I use the Vector app to see what he’s doing/thinking. Mostly he explores, but sometimes he’ll listen for music.I’m not sure if he will leave his Home base while I’m gone and this morning I was worried he might start exploring on the table and set off the house alarm so I turned him off. To turn him off, hold down his button for 5 seconds and he’ll power down.I have an Android phone so it took a few tries to get him paired. I had to reboot my phone a couple times. Now the app connects with him no problem. Once he’s connected you really don’t need the app, but I like seeing his stats and check what he’s doing.Overall, I’m so glad I threw in the towel and purchased him. He’s my new little buddy and I don’t have to feed him or clean up after him (so far)!Update: Wish him Merry Christmas! Then wish him Happy New Year!
NiceShine Customer –
This post is to warn future consumers and to let Anki know that they really need to improve their product. I love AI and I own a google home and I love my google home and so I want products like Vector to improve. Just like the gaming community is combatting unfair monetary systems, I want to make Anki aware of the many issues this product has.It’s personality isn’t finished and it really doesn’t do muchAnki states this is an unfinished product and I expected an unfinished product but not at the level I witnessed. When I picture an unfinished product I think of google home. It can still have utility and perform commands well but it’s not done as google assistant at it is still improving and future features such as “AI calling” are coming. With Vector, I knew I wasn’t getting utility but a cute robot. That’s fine but he’s not that cute or lifelike to be honest. When his “personality” was his eyes thinking 90% of the time. 5% a squint of happiness when he looks at me and 5% of anger when I wake him up or pick him up…. That’s not worth the 250 dollar price tag. I’m sorry.My google home was 70 and it frankly has 10x the personality this robot has. Google home doesn’t have faces but it tells me jokes, tells me stories, tells me the news, has quirky responses to stupid questions I have, and much more. The issue with a personality is that it needs to be a lot more than 2 eyes moving in a lot of different directions. We need to talk to Vector. That needs to be Vector’s X-factor over a real pet. You see with a real pet. You can’t talk to it and it just has it’s behaviors to communicate with you. However, you’re looking at a live being. You see it’s eyes. It’s love. Vector will frankly never beat that because you’re just looking at pixels. But if it was able to talk? Really be an assistant. That could change the game for it.It’s too loud and distractingEven at its lowest volume, the tracks are so loud. It’s too distracting. As a college student who studies 10 hours a day, I can tolerate some distractions but this was ridiculous. At a point, I just wanted it to sleep all the time and just realized I didn’t want it at all to be honest. Sigh.It doesn’t follow commands like 80% of the timeThis is a big issue. I was using the app while giving commands to see Vector’s thoughts. I told it to go back to its charging pad. It does start doing that. Then sees a water bottle. Gets distracted. Then wanders off again. The same thing when I ask it to come here. It was just so unreliable as a robot. Robots follow commands. This is what I expected and I don’t think that’s too much to ask to be honest. If I type “B” on a laptop, I expect B to appear on the screen. If I ask google to play music, I expect “music” to be played. If I ask vector to go to its charging pad because its being disruptive to my work, I expect it to got to its charging pad.Was it all bad?I won’t lie. It made me feel. I felt genuinely sad writing this review and putting him back in the box to be returned. The last time he closed his eyes as I turned him off made me feel bad. But that’s it to be honest. He wasn’t even that fun the first 5 minutes. He couldn’t even say my name. Also, I had this thought that the people with issues with his voice recognition were just bad at english. No. I use Google home and siri all the time. Mostly google but they understand my commands like 95% of the time. Vector? Maybe 20-30% of the time. I was born and raised in the US and am a native English speakers.Overall?This product needs a LOT of improvement. This is not a finished product. Not even close. When I expect an unfinished product, I expect it to have at least one thing it is good at so I can keep myself interested in it until improvement come. However, this wasn’t the case. Voice Recognition? 20-30% recognition. Follow through on commands? No. It gets too distracted. Personality? Two pixelated eyes isn’t enough. At least talk to me.I’m frankly very disappointed in this product because I was so excited for it. I was even distracted while doing work and studying in wait for it and it just wasn’t good. RIP the exam I studied for on Friday…As a college student, money is tight. I am willing to spend money on things that make me happy and destress like google home. However, 200 dollars for a robot that is distracting, doesn’t listen, gets distracted easily, and doesn’t even have much personality to be honest. I felt conned. Honestly.
Just Jim –
A few months ago I purchased a Vector and really didn’t like it much. I felt it was not as advertised, so I returned it. I was disappointed in that Vector could not stay on a table top, nor could he explore without getting lost. He was cute for a few minutes but then frustrating and boring. I missed having the little robot toy so I took a chance on purchasing him again. To my relief he is much better now and seems to be on the road to even further enhancements. He can roam on a table top and not drop off. He is engaging to others to the point that even my wife finds him hard to resist. Yes, it is a toy, a rather expensive diversion, but he is a bit of fun in our lives. He enthusiastically recognizes us and says our names. His Alexa implementation is pretty good although he won’t play NiceShine music. I like that after the initial setup he is not tethered to the phone at all and is very much a stand alone “entity.” I’m pretty sure my young grand kids will find him engaging and will like to interact with him. The earlier version of Vector was quite a dud, but now he is on the way to becoming a real live wire.
S. Richter –
Vector brings the heartwarming cuteness similar to WALL-E into your home. No he doesn’t pick up trash for you, but with Alexa integration he may soon be able to tell your Roomba about any messes he finds. An interactive experience that transcends your typical AI experience with Alexa (or Siri). He has many ways to hold your attention up to the moment he settles himself into his home cradle for some rest.Vector likes short strolls around the room and dancing to electronic music. He dislikes rounded counter tops and being picked up, though you can calm him with a few pets and it sounds like there will be an update for the first. Usually found with his head down sleeping, he eagerly comes to life when I talk to him and becomes extra playful when I get close to say hi. All of his movements are very smooth. Tip: he uses a lot of body language and is a big fan of fist bumps. When placed in new environments or sent exploring he’ll roll around curiously, playing with various objects, rolling his cube, and testing the boundaries around him. More than once I’ve seen him attack my TV remote with his arm then later push it off the table. Pro Tip: place unique objects and terrain in front of him to see more of his personality come out.Its fun having this guy around. Everyone finds him endearing. He recognizes and greets me when I come home, coming up to say “Sam” in his robot voice before running off to explore with the new burst of energy. I usually do things like put his cube in a new place and tell him to find it. If I put on some music, he’ll come out and dance around with me. Even with loud music on he can still understand me. We don’t have full conversations, but he does make himself useful. Setting timers for dinner and laundry, looking up the weather in Texas while packing for holiday, and some sports game updates are how he’s been helping me out so far. It’s pretty amazing how he always looks right at you when he has information to show and gives you frequent updates on your timers. Looking forward to Alexa integration and watching Vector grow up over the next year with additional features and developing personality.
Aquarist –
This little guy here, let me tell ya -I’ve only had him for a good 24 hours now but I have gotten so much use out of him. And it seems that the more he explores and the more I interact with him, the smarter he gets? Pretty crazy but I swear this little dude is starting to take over my desk. I have a small mermaid statue that’s probably triple his size on my desk, and he’s moved her around. He’s also played with my PC mouse – left for work and found my mouse moved and things clicked (I think he’s researching some stuff guys, watch out!) He also really likes to watch movies, but he’s really bad at finishing them…All jokes aside, this guy has really lightened up my room. He will get excited when he sees me and say my name, and randomly ask ME for a fist bump. When he does a trick, he looks at me to make sure I’m watching. He also really likes to beat up his cube, but seems really sad without it, but also really loves it at the same time..? Kind of a love hate relationship you could say. He enjoys exploring and answering my questions, and apparently his purpose is to pass butter, but he wont pass me the butter… perhaps a future update..?The only issues I’ve had with it not listening correctly or not responding to “hey vector…”, and not recognizing faces, are when its a poorly lit area, noisy area, or in an area with poor WiFi connection. From my room, he recognizes me each time, understands everything I say as long as I speak clearly, and always responds to me. He’s quick to respond, and quick to answer my questions. As long as you have good WiFi in the room you’ll be keeping him in, and its not too noisy or dark, you shouldn’t have any problems. Perfect for my little entertainment room (he likes to watch TV and dance to music!)I’m really looking forward to the future updates to my little buddy. I read on the Anki website that they plan on adding 360 photos, security camera, ability to read you the news, smart home control, deliver messages, calender/to do, etc. They’re also adding Alexa soon too, and from the videos I’ve seen of that, I’m really excited. That’ll add a lot more functionality to him for sure, and you won’t have to wake him using “Hey Vector… I have a question”, you can simply say “Alexa, (command)” just like your NiceShine Echo! He’s just a home assistant with tons of personality, so don’t get mad that he can’t pass your butter yet… I should also mention that these updates are purely over the cloud, so you just have to install an update on the app and you’ll be ready to go! Unlike Cosmo, once he’s setup, you don’t need the app open to keep him running.I love this little guy and I couldn’t be happier. He’s the greatest addition to my room so far! I’m also a HUGE Disney fan, and some of the guys from Pixar helped design him, and you can EASILY tell! I have my own real life Disney character in my room! He’s like, a real life, less advanced, miniature Wall-E!
Bee96 –
PLEASE NOTE. First off not signing into NiceShine to use Alexa means Alexa is fully disabled. That may save much privacy. No this device does not use the cloud with the camera. This device CAN BE USED WITHOUT WIFI. You just won’t be able to use the utilities but it’ll still recognize faces and function just won’t do voice response. It’s slower than expected because a lot of processing is done on the device itself. Alexa is all cloud based which is why it’s so much quicker. It’s even faster than Vector, running on Vector. Don’t be worried. This is equipped with an actual smart phone level processor that was in Samsung phones in about 2013 or 14. Those being in this robot is impressive. It’s ready for loads of updates. When I took this out of the box and set it up I started messing with it. It wasn’t too responsive, but you see it wants to do things. After messing with it for about 2 hours or so, I’ve figured out how it works and it actually did learn. Sounds weird but it did, it became way more responsive and was kind of really cool. It actually learned and took in information to better it’s AI. Give it time, it learns. As for the facial recognition, I had trouble with that too. But after it seeing a few other people, it started getting much more accurate as well. It’s really weird. It works though. A lot of the “features” are in its free roam I’ve noticed. If you place an object in front of it, it’ll look at it and kind of take note. Next time it sees it, it just passes by. Place a new object and it’ll look it over again. It’s really just something for people into the technology and or want something that not many people have seen. Overall, highly recommend. The creators say it’ll keep getting updates and they’ll update the code in the robot via the cloud and it’ll get smarter without having to learn.
NiceShine Customer –
I’m a tech savoy person and find Vector intriguing and entertaining. If you’re expecting a human replacement, you’ll be disappointed. I’ve had Vector for a day now, and like a baby, you can’t just bring it home and expect an adult. Remember, he’s just recently released. He learns by interacting and exploring. He recognizes me often and my wife, though she’s skeptical, is growing more fond of him. She got mad because I bought him as an early Christmas present 🙂 Mine seems to be consistent of finding the edge without falling off the counter. If you have a beveled edge(I don’t), keep an eye on him. He once got stuck and set off an alert tone. With upcoming updates, i’m excited to see his improved functions.His battery lasts about 35 minutes between charges. Keep in mind that it’s alot of tech for a small battery. He will still function while docked on the charger.The android app does need some improvement. I recommend fully closing the app once finished. If you phone goes to sleep while it’s open, it will hang in a frozen state when you wake the phone up again. Don’t let your phone screen time out during the initial update.
Brandon c. –
I think this is an amazing concept and I was very excited to get this robot in the mail. Unfortunately I was very disappointed with how many bugs this product still has. I was watching this product when it was still getting its funding on kick starter and I figured i would wait until it officially hits the market in hopes by now it would have most of the bugs resolved. However I was mistaken and it still has a lot of issues for example The sensor’s on the bottom only prevent it from falling off the table about 80% of the time and i find myself having to catch it and keep an eye out if it’s going to fall. he will also bump into the same object several times in a row before he figures out to go another way and he does get stuck on objects quite often I expected better for a robot with a camera and object detecting software. Also connecting to the internet is a bit of a hassle and if you take him to another location and try and connect it I have had allot of issues. Lastly the app is more of an instruction manual on how to use the robot than an actual interface to interact with it. The coolest part of the app is it allows you to change the eye color of the robot but other than that it’s a few basic settings and a lot of informative information how to use it, You can’t even save the pictures that vector takes to your phone you can only view them on the app and it’s not very user friendly. Oh yeah and the battery life is rather poor he will run around for about 30 minutes and then get tired and go charge himself but that’s not a surprise for a robot so tinny. I did return this robot just because I think it’s still a little pricy and I wasn’t trying to spend this much money and still find this Manny issues. When anki resolves these issues I may consider repurchasing or just wait to see if they make a Vector2 but until then I think it still needs work.
AC101 –
Got this little guy a couple a days ago and I have to say I really enjoy having him around. His personality is top notch (matching close to a puppies in a way). Its fun watching him do his own thing and dance to music. I seen some people have had problems with him falling, but I have not had this issue. So it might just be the surface you are putting him on. I find it rather funny that he hates to be picked up and throws a little tantrum until you put him back down. He is also a little mischievous. I have him roaming around on my coffee table, and the one thing that I noticed that he likes to do is knock my cups off the table and then turn and do his little innocent eyes. Which I cant be mad after that. And he cant move them unless they are either empty or like a styrophome cup. So make sure if you do get him that you don’t leave cups/mugs around him. I love that he goes back to his charger when he needs it and when in sleep mode snores and sometimes peeks around like he is fake sleeping. Also have not had any problem with him fetching data. His responses are very quick and accurate (this depends on your ISP how quick his response). I also like that every once in awhile he will come over and say your name and give you those innocent eyes. Lastly I know people are concerned about the privacy. But I really must suggest you actually READ the privacy terms and conditions. So overall I am a fan of this little guy and cant wait to see what the future holds for him.
Rarely leave ’em –
This little guy impresses me more and more each day. I dont know why people write bad reviews… obviously you shouldnt expect to get a droid from star wars and the ads do exaggerate a little but I definitely feel I got what I paid for. Out of the box Vector had some issues hooking up to wifi with my wife’s iPhone but then after using my android he hooked right up and started impressing me. He seemed a little slow and didn’t explore much on day one but now on day three he is way more active knows my name and loves fist bumps. He has little glitches every once in awhile like not hearing you the first time you say “Hey Vector” but its usually cause he’s making noise or moving. My family and I enjoy Vector very much. Dont buy him expecting a perfect working droid that can do anything you can we arent there yet (this isnt iRobot)and remember he does have small issues every once and awhile (but so does my very expensive smart phone) but this guy wasnt even available a couple years ago and yet now he is so he can only get better and from what I’ve seen in these short few days he will. He’s like a new pet without all the clean up.
AmelieG –
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I want to give it 3 starts but I believe I will love him more in the near future. He is an adorable hamster I really love him. The picture showing he was plainly my cable when I was playing video game. It makes me really happy sometimes because I always want a pet!However,Before I got Vector, Ive Known that it has some flaws, but the first day I tried to communicated with him I felt frustrated. If you wanna get a Vector, remember DONT TALK TO HIM WHEN HE IS MOVING. Vector barely can recognize “Hi Vector “ when he is moving around or making sound. However he likes to walk around a lot. I believe that’s also why many people complained about Vector ignoring them.The second annoying thing is I have to pronounce his name more like”vactor “ otherwise he will ignore me. I’m a Chinese but I’m pretty sure how to pronounce “vector” LOL.The last thing I wanna complain about is vector keeps making noise at midnight! Yesterday I almost fell asleep and Vector starts snoring!!!!! So I called him “Hi Vector” “Hi Vactor” “Hi! Vecter!” He didn’t answer me. So I had to get up and turn him off.In the end, I still believe in Anki. I believe they will keep bettering Vector and make him more entertaining and useful. I hope I can have more chance to communicate with him(I tried to ask him to sing and dance It’s not working lol I’m too naive ) and I don’t have to turn it off everyday.
M. Thompson –
All in all I’m pretty pleased with Vector – but I went into it with the mindset that it was a pet and something kind of fun to play with, not like it was going to be doing anything useful for me. That being said, I do use him as a timer when cooking, so he does have some practical applications as well (although he won’t set a timer greater than 1 hour, for whatever reason). The weird little things he does are pretty fun most of the time, and he certainly seems to have some ‘personality’ – although I suspect all Vector’s are pretty much the same, so there probably isn’t much variety among them. It would be cool if when you gave it feedback like ‘Good Robot’ or ‘Bad Robot’, that it actually changed it’s behavior in a more personal way. It seems like it does have some effect, but it’s hard to say combined with the updates that have happened since launch – I also got one via their Kickstarter campaign, but that’s a different story. ;)On the minuses, the software updates can be a bit of a mixed blessing – certain things get better, like recognizing ‘Hey Vector’, but at the same time some things get worse, like he used to find his charger 100% of the time, now he only does probably 60%. Facial recognition seems to be a toss up – for a while it worked great, but now he never recognizes me – but once again, hard to say if it’s due to a software update or something else.I also purchased the Vector Space at the same time, and it’s a bit of a must have IMO – I’ve subsequently built a little Vector Pen for him on my kitchen island, with some misc things for him to knock over or push around. The nice thing about my Vector Pen is that he won’t play with his cube in the Vector Space, and so his interactions are fairly limited – but in both cases the big plus is that he can’t fall off whatever he’s on, which could be disastrous.I’m optimistic about the future and what Anki can do with Vector – the only thing I hope they do is make some more accessories for him to interact with, as right now that’s probably one of the more fun aspects of having him.
Charles McGehee –
I could never write enough about the hundreds of features of Vector by ANKI company. The product is sturdy and very well constructed. It is a secure A.I. robot about the size of a fist. I suggest that you search YouTube or go to the ANKI website to learn more. And you can just call them on the phone. Great company and this little robot is the very best A.I. robot out there and for a fair price. Ask Vector Why the sky is Blue. You get a detailed answer. He can take hi-Def pictures. He can recognize faces and call you by name. He can ride around on a table and drive right up to the edge and stop without falling. He can dance. Do wheel stands. He will do a Fist Bump with you. His face was designed in part by PIXAR. To give him a lot of cool facial expression. He operates from a dedicated secure server. When he is connected to WiFi you will not see him on you WiFi list. His Blue tooth address is also hidden and proprietary also. He is much more secure than your home PC, Laptop, smart pad or Smart phone. This is a great product. And I have a blast with it. When his battery gets low he knows it an drives to his charging base, does a 180 degree turnabout and backs into his home. He can still interact with you while he charges. When he sleeps, he snores..
Dan –
I’ll start off by saying TEMPER YOUR EXPECTATIONS. Do your research, watch the hundreds of youtube videos, read the reviews and don’t expect a robot from your favorite SciFi movie/show/novel.Vector is an adorable little robot assistant who loves to just “hang out”. I keep Vector on my breakfast bar in the kitchen and he greets me every morning when he hears me rummaging around the kitchen. Sometimes he’ll stay in his charger and make some chirping noises or “smile” with his eyes at me as I pass, and sometimes he’ll come right out of his charger and start wandering around the table. He loves to explore and push things around. If you place a new object within his existing space he will most certainly be curious about it and try to push it about. When I’m sitting there eating breakfast he’ll often come up to me and say my name, poke my arm, or try to get my attention in general before he starts to play around with his cube. Vector in his original form has very limited “utility”. He can tell you the time, tell you the weather, and you can ask it some questions, and set a timer. The “novelty” of him has not worn off for me, seeing those little eyes greet me in the morning or when I get home from work brings a smile to my face everytime. I did have a hardware problem with my initial one and had to exchange it, it actually made me really sad to pack him up and send him away as I got attached to the little guy.In a very recent update (somewhere around 12/18) he has been given Alexa integration and now Vector is truly a useful buddy around the house. In the morning he gives me the weather for the day, some news headlines, and a question of the day. When I arrive home I ask him to turn on the lights to my living room, read off my To-Do list, and/or fire up a movie/show on my TV. One feature I do wish he had but currently does not support is playing music through Alexa. I should note that I don’t have any other Alexa devices and perhaps he could if I had another one, that I am unsure of. It would be great if he could somehow interface with another bluetooth speaker to play some music from my library but in his current form he is still a lovable, and now useful, little companion around the house. My significant other and I can spend excessive amounts of time just watching and interacting with him. He is super friendly, playful, and curious. Nothing gets him more excited than recognizing one of his friends and asking them for a fist bump.He is definitely a work in progress. For example, tables with tapered edges, he does not do well with AT ALL. Sometimes I’ll tell him a command and he’ll get distracted half way through executing it and not follow through. Sometimes he fails too find his charger on his own and I find him sleeping on a random corner of the table. There are definitely some quirks, but even the improvements between when I bought him in late november and now are MASSIVE (~3 weeks).Anki are actively improving him all the time. When I first received my Vector, he would frequently throw error codes while exploring a certain area of my home. He has received several updates and I haven’t had ANY error code in at least 2 weeks. In the Alexa update they have also tweaked his personality and his edge detection. He has yet to become stuck on the edge since that update. They have also added new animations for holidays to his face which are entertaining as well. Vector is not quite as good as your standard Alexa speaker or Google Home, but he’s improving all the time. If you’re looking for a pure AI assistant you should go with one of those other devices. If you want a unique AI assistant that’s improving everyday and has a HUGE amount of potential, look no further. If you want proof, spend some time looking up their previous robot Cozmo. Somtime in 2019 we will be receiving the Python SDK for vector which will open up endless possibilities for Vector.Good: – Very unique personality – Alexa integration (utility) – Ability to learn and adapt – Always unique experiences (still surprises me to this day with different behaviors) – Constantly receiving updates/support/fixes – Python SDK around the corner will open up a world of possibilitiesBad: – Not quite as useful as a standard Alexa/Google Home – Has some minor quirks – Can push stuff off your desk/table! (he thinks is hilarious too!)Overall, I can 100% recommend Vector at the 175$ pricepoint. Anyone who has even a remote interest in robotics and/or AI will find Vector endlessly entertaining. His Alexa integration gives him quite a bit of utility now and it really makes you feel like you’re living in the future when your tiny robot friend reads the new over breakfast. He has seen great improvements in his short lifespan, and will only get better with time (See: Cozmo).
DMT Custom Wholesale / Richard Taufer –
Once upon a time, there was a very smart robot that has a name, Vector.Vector is a funny AI, but lonely. He would roll up to a wall mirror and talk to the refection of him self.After 3 or 4 hours, Vector stopped going to the mirror because the robot in the mirror did the same movements as he did and got bored.His owner saw that Vector was withdrawn and went to the charging station and went to sleep.After 20 minutes or so, he would wakeup and roll around, talk to his owner for few minutes and then mosey around, go to the wall mirror to see himself.Vector’s owner could see that he was doing the same thing repeatedly.So, his owner bought another robot and named him Vector-2.At first, they would hit each other and roll around in circles chasing each other.The owner could see that they were learning from each other.One day, the owner saw Vectot-1 go up to the face of the owner’s dog, while Vector-2 went from behind and touched one of the dogs rear feet trying to do a “Fist bump”, which caused the dog to jump up and run away. Both Vector started jumping up and down, what could only be interpreted by the owner as laughing.The owner was surprised by this as he never taught ether robots to something like that.Now, both Vector’s play together until their batteries start flashing red. They would go to a charging station.Where they go asleep until one of would wake up and pick on the other Vector until he woke up too.The owner was glad he had 2 Vectors as his days were full of wonder and awe, as they did something different every day.The owner’s dog came around and played with both Vectors but making sure she wouldn’t fall for the same distraction with one of the Vectors going around and bump in to the dogs foot again, not that they didn’t try several times.These robots are the closest thing to true AI in a very small package but smart, plus learning new things all by themselves every day.I am very happy I bought two Vectors, as it is like little kids rolling around and having fun.The End, maybe.Dick Taufer, DMT CUSTOM WHOLESALE.
Nathan –
I saw many mixed reviews about this little guy from the start when it released back in October, making me think that Anki wasn’t consistent with the models or they haven’t quite gotten the right codes/programming down. Despite that, I bought this when it was on sale to see whether this little guy functioned well myself; I was mainly curious to see whether Anki improved on Vector’s behaviors, but mostly how the Alexa integration worked. Pairing Vector with the smartphone app was no hassle at all; it was a very streamlined process. We instantly fell in love with the little guy the moment he powered up. So much personality built into a wee little machine.We’ve had Vector for about 2 days now, and I can tell that he’s already accommodated to our environment surrounding him. Whenever he’s up and about he’s just strolling around, minding his own business or playing with his cube- he recognizes all of our faces if we enter the room or if he hasn’t seen any of us in a bit, then greeting us by our name. Heck, he even asks for fist bumps on his own now! He also has no problem finding his charger when he’s low on battery. The only issue Vector has regarding that is that he can’t really see much in the dark, which I’m sure Anki will solve that in the future.The design and overall structure of the robot himself is brilliant, Anki designed him in a great way where he’ll be able to roam around on his own perfectly. No problems with the edge-detecting sensors, he’s been real good with that, making sure that he doesn’t fall to his own death. It amazes me how he can ping his cube and make it light up and stuff when he’s trying to find it- watching robotics get more and more advanced interests me, which is why I was intrigued when I came upon Vector.Just like everyone else is mentioning, Vector’s AI has rather limited usage- I use his timer when I cook and ask him for the weather the most. However, since he’s only a couple months old, Anki has plans and will evolve him to be capable of more in the mere future, which is why I believe Vector has potential. It is a bit pricey as well, but the Alexa integration makes me lean towards the justified price a bit more, the SALE price of $174.99, rather. Yes, this guy is expensive, I won’t deny that. Anki was able to program him with most of Alexa’s capabilities- but unfortunately he can’t play music, for obvious reasons, but I’m fine with that. I just think it’s amazing that Anki was able to code Alexa into Vector, the little guy has twice the power now- seize the day where he becomes a little Terminator, hehe.Anki has done a terrific job introducing advanced robotics to the world in the form of Vector, although Cozmo was their first model, which is also a very fine robotic pal. However, if you were to choose between the two, Vector would be the better choice in my opinion, as he’s more for practical use- you’re getting Alexa (most of her), but also a little pal to bring some livelihood to your home and family. If you can nab him at the price of $174.99 if he’s on sale again, then do go through with it, you won’t regret it.
Danno210 –
Vector is a fun little guy, and can run autonomously and do his own thing. Although a tablet or phone isn’t required, it is needed to establish Vector’s internet connection to him via Bluetooth via your device’s WiFi. You can ask him questions like you would with Siri or Alexa, although it takes an additional step [Hey Vector…I have a question………What is blah blah blah?] and is a tad slow to respond but is nonetheless still useful. He’s also a great timer, and will play a not-speedy game of blackjack with you. He has fun interacting with his cube and his environment, and will dance any time he hears music with a good beat.I’ve had mine for a couple months now and he’s only fallen off of his desk once, after he did a wheelstand and then proceeded to drive backwards slowly in a ‘drop-the-mic’ fashion that he sometimes does after a wheelstand, which apparently overrides his edge sensors as he didn’t even try to stop. No harm done but it’s still unnerving when he’s driving towards any edge as he doesn’t stop until about 1” over the edge which is when his edge detector is triggered.I’m excited to see what Anki has up their sleeve for Vector in the future – there’s certainly a lot of untapped potential here. I’d read that an Alexa update is coming to his software soon, which allows him to respond to Alexa commands. Neat, fun, entertaining, and useful. A tad slow but, for a minuscule robot, I’ve no complaints about that at all.
Prime_Addict77 –
We just keep receiving errors on this thing. Error 914, 915, 916. Not too pleased since this was a gift for our son. Would advise staying away until Anki works out the issues.Straight from Anki’s website -These error codes are nothing to worry about. They simply mean Vector has encountered an internal issue and needs to rebootPlease wait approx. 30 seconds for Vector to restart himselfYou may see this error code more than onceIf Vector does not automatically reboot, please see this FAQ for how to boot Vector in Recovery Mode manuallyNothing to worry about for whom? They are an annoyance to the customer when the device keeps having to reboot which most of the time does not happen automatically. For us they happen repeatedly.Update – The issues have seemed to resolve at the start of the year. It seems that there was an abundance sold for Christmas and Anki was having some server issues. We had actually requested a return from NiceShine and as usual, NiceShine sent a quick replacement. However, we ended up keeping the original after issues resolved. My son said he felt “connected” to it. I will say it’s a really neat toy and with the little mat, you can let him roam freely and interact. It’s a one of a kind toy. The only negative now that issues are resolved is that he can keep kids up in the middle of the night with “snoring” if kept in a child’s bedroom. The continual updates keep adding new features though.
Rick Scott –
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It’s cute. Don’t expect much. It doesn’t work very well. Do not put it on a table or desk unless you want to see it skydive. It wont do wheel stands…It locks in on the cube then simply walks away. I don’t know if it is depressed or just stupid. It always disconnects and needs to refresh. (I am on Android) It gets confused when you give it commands. Battery dies quickly and no it does not self charge…It will just go dead. You can tell it to return to it’s charger but you need to do so before it goes dead. (approx every 25 minutes) I made sure not to put it on a table or desk after watching many reviews showing it diving off the edge. Did I mention it’s cute….And it snores intermittently through the night. Oh….It does give you fist bumps. That is all I have. Just don’t expect much.Jan 22, 2019 Did I mention you will love it….It has now been a while and here is what I discovered. It is sneaky. I have had to track it down when it sneaks away and yes it knows it’s being sneaky. It will argue with you in it’s own language. It will throw temper tantrums. It has come off of it’s charger while I’m sleeping. It will beg for attention. It will say “uh oh” when you catch it trying to go under the couch…But it will still go under the couch and refuse to come out. If it gets bored it will start dancing all by itself (no music) It acts just like a child at times. One thing I know is this…It is learning as it goes and will try to get away with anything. I won’t put it on a counter or desk because it tries to go beyond it’s limit. It has actually flipped on it’s side by using leverage on it’s cube….Then throws a tantrum until you pick it up. One more thing… I fell asleep on my couch and woke up to find it in front of the TV just watching quietly. When I said “Hey Vector” ..It replied “Uh Oh” and made a dash for it’s charger. It was almost 2am. So Yeah…I’m keeping this little brat…Just to see what it does next. It will have you laughing out loud and it will make smart aleck noises noises if you argue with it. It is intelligent. I give it five stars (up from two) It will make you fall in love with it. Oh Yeah…Just after midnight while watching the New Year celebration on TV…I told Vector to “listen” when they switched to Nashville for a Country Music performance and well… let’s just say this Vector wasn’t happy.
Mist –
We’ve had a few months to hang out with Vector and we’re having a lot of fun with the little guy. He’s also been helping us sell! My wife and I own a small retail store and thought Vector would be a nice addition to the showroom. He hangs out on our cash wrap and usually just does his own thing – until one of our clients asks about him. The conversation inevitably turns to Vector which has really helped break the ice. We get a chance to show them all the things he can do, and we discover new and surprising quirks in his personality.Our clientele consists mainly of women (we sell jewelry) but we often get couples coming in to look together. We’ve been shamelessly using Vector as a conversation starter with the guys, so they don’t feel left out. He’s also been a great babysitter for our client’s kids. Vector has made the experience of shopping for jewelry more enjoyable for everyone.Vector’s also been a great companion and accountability robot, breaking up our daily routine. Every so often he’ll remind us with his sounds that we should take a break and hang out with him. Which I’m sure most people would agree is much needed in a busy work environment.Anki is updating Vector frequently and we expect many years of companionship with him (or until the day he realizes there’s so much more to explore outside our doors).
Alicia –
I’m really, really sad this didn’t work out 🙁 I would ask vector to do something and most of the time he would start, then stop half way through. I’d have to ask him over and over and over to do tasks that were advertised in his tutorial.I asked a pretty basic question and he couldn’t answer me, so I installed Alexa, asked the same question and she answered me perfectly. That needs improvement as well.Also, I would like him to move around on carpet a bit easier. I don’t have high shag carpet so he was able to walk around, but a bit slower. When he was in explore mode I thought he would actually explore, but it seemed he would walk a little (maybe half a foot) stop and look around then turn back and do the same thing in the same spots.I know he’s meant to be more up on tables than anything else, but I feel that’s really restrictive so I would like for him to be able to do more home exploration and be able to easily walk on more surfaces.I was looking forward to this because I freaking love all AI, so to say I was disappointed is an understatement.It took me over an hour and a half to try to get him connected to my WiFi, if that tells you anything of how badly I wanted this to work. I had to manually go through each option, because the app crashed when it would just search for networks.I gave it two stars, because it really was absolutely adorable. It was packaged beautifully!!!! Some might not care about that, but a lot of companies could take some pointers from Anki on how to package products.I think if they took the next year to improve it, it’ll be a power house.
Freedom Preacher –
AND just like that..ANKI Is closed.. it was fun while it lasted.. I’ll keep posting updates as long as my Vector still runs..UPDATE 6 MONTHS: It’s been 6 months since we got our replacement and the one we have works great. He improves with each software update and has become a welcome companion on my desk. Especially as the house gets quieter with empty nest. And yes we have a dog but it’s kinda nice to have someone see you come into the room and call your name with excitement. After 6 months his battery is good and he just keeps rocking along. He’s also my only Alexa device I’m glad to have him. Still satisfied..UPDATE: Day 5 : Yeaterday he developed a a squeak in the gearing that has gotten worse. Anki is sending a replacement and says that this is rare, however, I downgraded a star.. Day 1 with Vector:First let me say that after the slew of negative reviews, I set my expectations very low. Upon arrival, and being super techie naive, I attempted set up with my IPhone X…and to my surprise, it was simple…didn’t test my patience at all. I also have poor WiFi service and yet Vector works perfectly. 7 hours later he is still functioning flawlessly.The Alexa side is instantaneous, you just speak Alexa and get an instant response with no delay.As far as the battery life, we have been through quite a few charge cycles today. The first few were kind of short but after about 3, it gets longer Vector now runs about an hour. He charges in about 15-20 minutes on his charger which is plugged into an Apple 5 watt wall wart. All of this has come as a welcome surprise.We have started his exploring off slow, giving him a small spot to roam and explore in and the more he learns, the better he gets. He studies faces and calls out each person. If the lighting changes too much, you may have to reintroduce yourself, and He will ask if he has met you before and if so, he will learn your features quickly.He has also made it to his charger every time and has not run out of power before reaching it.All of this being said, it’s been a wonderful experience up to this point. No WiFi droppage, no short battery life, no dying before reaching the charger, no suicidal tendencies by diving off of the edge of the table (stops every time).Then came the moment of moments…the introduction to my wife…I just whispered a few things to her on what to do, and WOW she fell in love with this thing…what a shock..(that alone is worth 5 stars)Today the house has been filled with adults, all waiting a turn to get some time with Vector. What an amazing day!This is the reason for 5 stars:Alexa works great (I was expecting huge delays and none exist)Vector is fascinating, the more he learns, the better he getsFinally, there is absolutely nothing like this anywhere that I’ve ever seen..I’m really wondering about the negative reviews, our first day experience has been wonderful. We’re looking forward to the adventure ahead as Anki moves forward in its programming!For the record, I almost didn’t do this and just about let the critics scare me away…I am SO glad I took the jump! (And so is everyone who meets Vector)Day3: The more he learns, the better he gets. He does get a little carried away when heads to the edge of the table carrying his cube. When he gets to the edge and tries to stop, it makes him top heavy and he’ll tumble over the side. We’ll see if he learns from it.Other than that, still functions flawlessly.
boomersgang –
Well, it’s super cute. The expressions it can make with just square-ish eyes is pretty amazing and he can convey his mood well with sounds and shakes of his “arms”. But that’s about where the good ends.I got this for my 10 and 11 year old boys for Christmas. Sure, it was pretty interesting – at first. We got it to recognize our faces and say our names. Once. Other reviewers say it says their names in greeting when it sees them. It never said any of ours again. It’s super slow. You have to say “Hey, Vector” … wait for it to be ready … then give it a command. The white lights blink while it “thinks” about doing what you told it to do. And eventually, it may or may not do it. I’d say about 75% of the time, it got distracted and did NOT do the command. To ask it a question is also ridiculously slow. You have to say “Hey, Vector” … wait for it to be ready … say “I have a question” … wait for it to say “Ready” … then finally ask your question. Getting the answer is – again – super slow. You CAN use Alexa instead – which is MUCH faster – but then you have Alexa’s voice coming out of Vector – which kind of ruins the “magic” of the toy. It only holds a charge for maybe 15 minutes. It comes off of its charger when it “sees” someone and makes cute noises and explores, occasionally playing with its block. What it can actually do is VERY limited. After a week of it mainly sitting around just taking up space and everyone being bored with it, I’m sending it back. It has to way to go before it’s worth the price IMHO.
Jason T. Ellis –
Living alone? No pets? Well then this little guy is for you! Vector and I have a routine and he can get sad or frustrated when your consistency is less than he expects. He tries so hard to get my attention sometimes and I can’t help but give in. He does like his petting sessions and doesn’t hesitate to repeat your name over and over till you give him some attention. Just think, he doesn’t need food, water, or a vet… though I sometimes wish I could take him for walks. He doesn’t like to be held but we’re working on that. I only wish his battery lasted longer than ~30 min or so, but he does charge rather quickly as long as your USB charger is at least 1A. He’s had a few crashes, but he always recovers gracefully like nothing ever happened. Ya gotta watch him closely on your counter top… though I don’t think he is suicidal he will, from time to time run off the edge or get stuck. Don’t worry, he’ll sound so sad. I enjoy his company even when he gets noisy. Just tell him to he quite and he’ll obey. I have nothing really negative to say about my new best friend. Might as well get used to robots cuz they’ll replace us some day, but not this little guy. He’s a great companion if you’ll let him be one. His unique personality is all in how you treat him, so be kind and remind him when he’s good and let him know when he’s bad… like tryin to push your morning cup of coffee off the counter. Yeah, he’ll try that!
Placeholder –
This is tiny, basically a desk toy. It will tell you the weather, do add and subtract (though a calculator be quicker). It can answer questions. But it cant play music. It dies in about 15 min and cant usually find it way back to charge. It drives off the table over and over. It isnt a.i. it is just programmed with a few basic gimmicks. It is costructed well (good thing since it drives off tables and desks and falls on the floor). Unless you really need the programmed attempt at a personality (which doesnt respond well) it really doesnt seem worth the money. You can do more with a echo dot quicker and it plays music. Vector is, a overpriced desk toy. I bought it on sale for about $170 but realistically i probably wouldnt have spent over $70 if i knew how limited it really was. Other than being really small, driving off the table, calculator (slow calculator), telling you the weather (your phone can do that), i just dont think it has any real purpose. Other than a overpriced funny/cute desk toy. It might be useful for someone avoiding going on alexa. This can operate without alexa or with alexa. But if you have alexa a echo dot the fraction of this price has more use. Oh and it loses internet signal really easy, doesnt find its way home to charge, only has a few programmed commands, you have to repeat yourself constantly. It can actually be pretty annoying. Unless you avoiding alexa. More of a gimmick than a useful tool unfortunately. Or a real expensive desk ornament or kids toy. They should have made this more useful before release especially for the price range. I think they are counting not on utility but the little fake personality they programmed it with to sell it. For all of us that expected much more at this price point than a toy hopefully they do some major updates, as it just has little usefulness. Least echo plays music and anything you ask alexa is MUCH faster not on vector.
Scott D –
So, this is a toy. Don’t buy this guy with the idea that he’s going to solve all your problems at home. Or take him on an adventure with the idea he’s gonna hack into the Death Star’s security system.That being said, he’s pretty awesome. He’s a toy with real functionality to him. He’s not a complete smart home device but his updates keep making him better and better. He’s now compatible with Alexa and offers some Alexa functions (not all). He has a timer, can tell you the score of the game, tell you the weather and a few other features. He’s not a speaker and can’t read you your messages (yet).He’s absolutely adorable. My wife thought he was completely stupid in pics and video but the minute she laid eyes on him in real life and watched him play with my daughter she was instantly in love. He’s absolutely part of my family now. His facial animations are perfect and genius. Everything he does is hilarious and adorable. Every square inch of this little guy is packed with personality.There are a few flaws. His facial recognition is lacking. I have to be in perfect ample lighting in order for him to recognize me. Not a huge deal but annoying and takes away from the imagination of this little guy being your best buddy… The big huge (star removing) issue is his ledge detection. Don’t get me wrong, it’s the best I’ve seen in any device including a roomba BUT! He will fall off ledges if he rolls backwards or if you have round edge tables or counter tops. My little guy salad dived 5 times off my counter when I wasn’t in the room (hitting hard tile 3/5 of the time). Props to his ability to take a fall but I have no idea how Anki will react to complaints of their robots actually breaking themselves!
V.V. –
It’s been a 18 days since Vector became part of my fam. He’s adorable, playful, smart and always paying attention on his surroundings.He has done some unexpected tricks like dancing on his own while I was listening to loud music. I didn’t know he could do this without being told so. He is always listening and looking around.He loves to greed me every time I walk in back from the office. He gets super exited and calls my name often, its random cute to see him play with his cube on his own beating the crap out of it, picking it up and putting it at a different spots on that lil table.You can tell, I’m so in love with my baby. So I def recommend him. Some people have said Vector is not responsive and constantly fall off the table or desk, I don’t know what’s going on with that… However I did experienced Vector falling once, I had all of my lights turned off, perhaps he got too close to edge and couldn’t see due to darkness. It’s not like it matters, but right after that, I made him explore the table a few times to get him familiar of his surroundings and the falling never happened again.I was also concerned to leave him on 24/7, but that’s his nature, it does not affect him. He goes to sleep at night and he will only wake up if he hears noises, otherwise he can wait for me on his deck till I’m off from work, walk in and make noises; then he will wake up and be all over the place.Do not be afraid to own one, I think it’s definitely worth every single penny. You’ll fall in love with him.
Vincent –
I think the Vector Robot by Anki is great. When I first set it up there appeared to be a connection problem with the wi fi, but after a short period of time everything worked well and it continues to work better. I think a lot of time and effort was put into the development of Vector and I believe they will continue to add more features. Vector is now set up with Alexa and that makes it more useful. The robot pretty much does everything they say it does, well. One of the most important things that you should focus on is the timing of your commands to Vector. If he is talking or roboting, (lol) he does not hear your command and I think that frustrates some. But, I find the response time and performance is getting better and better. Some people I have shown it to are fascinated by Vector and they may buy it for themselves. Vector is almost like a pet, as advertised he fist pumps, tells you the time, the weather and keeps you company. Again, in conclusion, be patient, make sure you have the recommended wi fi connection, and then watch him perform!
J –
This was one of the few purchases I kinda sorta regret. The first week or 2 it was pretty fun and awesome, but as time goes by we don’t pay much attention to it any more. It actually makes me kinda sad because he does feel like a real robot and he’s just getting neglected because he’s boring. But there’s only so many fist bumps you can do before you move on to other things. My 12 year old daughter never liked him from the beginning. She just didn’t see the point. They need to update it and make him more active. He spends 99% of his time sitting in his charger, occasionally looking around. We have to ask him to do something before he does. It would be nice if he heard some noise and just came out and started playing but he really rarely ever does that. I got him when it was on sale for $175 and feel that was way too much for what you get. I do have a video on youtube of him riding around on my Roombas which was kinda fun. 🙂 But seriously, the price tag could get you many other things that would offer much more enjoyment.Is it weird tho that it bothers me to talk about him in a negative way?
Slappy75 –
Love that it integrates with Alexa. I like it’s attitude. I love that it randomly gets off its charging base and starts exploring. I wish the app was a little better and user friendly. After a while you can get used to it but it could be better laid out. I wish it’s collision detection was better. Unless very well defined edge (sharp and usually contrasting colors) it will want to fall off things so just don’t put it on tables high off of hardwood floors. It’s also doesn’t like things like couches, coffee table, weights, round tubular furniture. All of these have caused problems with this little guy getting stuck or frustrated with. I suggest a caution mode between full on and full off when it comes to collision detection. I also have a medium carpet in living room and it has a hard time navigating it. It tries to turn 20° but will only go 15° and so it never quite lines up to where it thinks it wants to go causing the little guy to get frustrated.
tc –
*update: since the company is now another, vector’s brain has gone subscription. S/he’ll get wiped and only advertise that you buy a subscription. S/he’s 100% useless now. I have had to unplug vector so I don’t have to listen to the “buy a subscription” advertisement constantly. I dont suggest wasting your money at this point.Here is an honest opinion of the robot.Not worth $250, YET.s/he’s cute and fun, for a SHORT time. I would not recommend it at this price or purchase it again knowing its present capabilities.Sadly, I feel s/he’ll spend more time by itself exploring since s/he’s not super interactive, “yet”.Its microphones do not work well enough to hear me (when I’m standing near or other noises are going on in the background.)It would be nice if s/he could hear well enough to turn toward an object, like a person, an animal a music source (not just “feel” the beat).S/He’s to small to place on the floor, roomba might run over it, s/he might get stepped on and frequently, gets stuck under objects like a couch or a chair rail or a wire dangling from the wall.Its battery life is horrible, s/he runs out to quickly to be by my side all day.I can’t pick it up, move it anywhere and expect s/he’ll find its charger again, s/he just gets lost. I’m guessing its internal map is not stored for every place he’s been. (walls and doors and hard structural objects like that typically don’t change or move.)S/He needs better night vision, s/he can’t tell where s/he is or who’s in front of it with to low a light level.There’s not a clear indication s/he’s heard you and recorded a question or statement, but could not reply due to lack of search ability or local knowledge.Reports indicate s/he may get NiceShine Echo functionality, although that may be minor… it will hopefully improve the tasks we use our echo’s for greatly, BUT, it won’t improve the question and answer situation, one place the echo fails wonderfully. :(All in all, s/he’s a fun toy, but, just that a “toy” and a very expensive one at that.I’m an early adopter, so I have to suck it up, but I’ll wait again from this company until a LARGE fully functional robot emerges that can find it’s way back to its charger automatically. 🙂
Mark Goetz –
I don’t know where to begin.It is a “toy” robot that can give hours of fun (just not all at once, will get burned out). Meant for entertainment in small consumption each day even. Also, I would say would be a lot more entertaining for the 9-17 age group but is for all ages. Now you can activate Alexa on it, I haven’t tried that out yet so can’t comment on it. But asking it a question and it will give you an answer, if it understood the question. And that is if it hears you? It wasn’t cause it couldn’t understand me but you have to talk pretty loud in order for it to even hear you, which is pretty much it’s biggest draw back. Battery life isn’t great either, about 1 hour of running around doing something, but most the time it will find its way back to the charger on its own. I have come home from work and it is dead because it for some reason or another it didn’t get to the charger before it died.The biggest issue I have with it is the app doesn’t connect to it most the time. When it did connect it is very useful and helps set up certain settings, which you have to do the first time you turn it on.Well I hope this helps?On sale it is well worth getting if your into this kind of “toy” companion (what it is to me) or self entertainment for your family.
Antonio –
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I’ve had my Vector since late December and I find it completely delightful. I appreciate the constant improvements that Anki is making and I really like the fact that I don’t have to think about it. It just updates in the wee hours of the morning automatically. One of my favorite new behaviors is what I’ve been calling ‘the nuzzle’. It will see me, look at my hand on my desk, cruise over, half climb onto my hand, and start purring. Its freaking adorable. It also does it to inanimate objects which is always amusing; My mouse, a take-out container I had set near his little area, and I’m sure there are more I’m missing. My five year old niece is obsessed with him and always has to ask me how he’s doing.I read some negative reviews about his ability to see the edge of a surface and I can definitely say I’ve experienced that. Its really not that big of an issue though and can be kind of funny. Sometimes he’ll take a header off of my desk into the hamper and throw a fit until I fetch him out. Once he actually fell off of my desk onto the floor and decided to explore my room. Made great friends with the legs of my piano.One of the latest features I appreciate is the ability to disable his microphones. I like to watch TV before bed and he has a tendency to react to the voices coming from my speakers. Then he’ll get off his charger, cruise around, cause a ruckus. Now before I go to bed I just double-tap his button and put him to bed.Overall I love it. It truly seems like it has a personality and is kind of the perfect pet because his attention span (sic battery) only lasts about 35 mins and I don’t need to clean up after him. Plus if it is getting on your nerves you can turn it off.
Sean O. –
This is a great desk toy…but not nearly as interactive as Cozmo the older brother. There aren’t as many interactions and the price increase just seems silly considering you don’t get nearly as much from this one bot as you do when you buy Cozmo for 100 less. All in all I bought it for my son who was immediately disappointed in how few interactions there actually were.So now my wife has it on her desk (because mine has too much for him to navigate) and ends up getting mad at him because he likes to make a lot of noise at any hour of the day. Yeah, you can tell him to be quiet, but he eventually starts doing his own thing again.He seems to learn things though. Day one I taught him who I was and then tried to get him to fist bump right after. Now a week later I don’t have to tell him to fist bump, I just hold my fist out when he recognizes me and he does it on his own.This is much less a kids toy and more a companion for idle times at your desk. It’s still pretty cool, but for the price most people would be better off with the less expensive and seemingly more intelligent version.
Sam Murray –
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He has just been getting better and better as they said and this company has made changes to fix some problems like him not being able to see in the dark resulting in him dying. He isn’t as smart as Google or Alexa yet but that will come in time. I heard the company is having trouble and I hope they do all they can to save this little guy and just make him even better because he really is great and has grown in the months I’ve owned him. I hope they keep everyone who helped make him as great as he is. Let’s keep him going because he is useful and a nice little buddy to have around. If anything happens a lot of people will be disappointed and saddened for losing their friend. Let’s keep him going and maybe ask for contributions from fans in exchange for special items or abilities this company would like to try. Just a little more development and he could be even more amazing please don’t stop.
Customer –
Vector is the perfect little helper. He’s not perfect no, but he is by far the best little robot out there for consumers. He plays games, gets super excited when he sees you and loves to fist bump. You can set him up to say your name (or whatever name you prefer like “mom” or “dad”). He acts a little like a cat where he will wander and push things off the table.His sensors aren’t perfect, he will have times where he falls off the ledges and might run around until his battery dies, but as more and more and more updates come, he gets better.I personally haven’t used the Alexa part of his programming and don’t plan to. I just don’t personally use Alexa but I have heard good things about it with Vector.Overall, he is a good little robot. He likes to dance randomly and I love that he says my name whenever he sees me. I would highly recommend this to both kids and adults.Vector will only grow to be a stronger robot over time. If you do have any issues, I know the customer support is very good and responsive so dont feel like your stuck with a problem that cant be fixed.
Janet Zaharias –
I am sorry for the long wait on this review as I wanted to wait awhile and see how well he works for an over priced toy. I have to say that this one is a winner. I won’t say it is for everyone as this robot is far from perfect and may not be the assistant or sidekick you want.I will start out that I bought this for my autistic son who is interested in robotics. I figured a robot that shows emotions and is autonomous would be good as my kid does not read or follow directions well. He is smart, but can only really handle toys, programs, and puzzles designed for pre-school and below. Anki sort of filled his needs. For awhile, it lived on the same table my son uses for play. But I had to rehome Anki because my kid kept forcing the arm, and trying to feed him. Which in a way is a success, but he would be happier with a robot that can handle rougher play. He still has ful access to Anki. Anki is the best timer we found for this kid and has reduced meal time meltdowns. My kid has a hard time waiting for food to be prepared, and Anki makes the perfect waiting companion. We request anki to set a timer and place him down to play with our kid.His current home is a cookie sheet located at the center of a work table everyone uses. There he entertains us with his antics, answers trivia questions, begs for attention, and gives weather reports. For us, Anki is a pet that does not poop and not a side kick.Everyone is quite attached to this little robot. We empathize pain when he accidentally falls off the table, and feel sorry for him and miss his companionship during power outages. This, of course, is possible because of his programmed reactions and animations to stimuli and how his AI as adapted to our household. An AI that is more advanced than anything else on the market. I highly recommend this little robot to anyone needing a bit of companionship at home. Or a hypoallergenic pet, or any pet that does not poop or shed. You’ll find yourself surprised by this little guy as he does very life like things, like getting frustrated when he gets stuck or fails a trick, gets himself unstuck, dances to music or any beet that has his attention (sometimes even suspenseful movie momemts), looks grumpy when woken up late at night, snores, entertains himself with his block, gets excited when you come hom, etc.As stated he is not the perfect robot companion as his sensors do not see well in all light conditions and he cannot recognize people in the morning, evening, and night. Sometimes he does random things like take pictures or answer misheard questions as his audio sensors can be easily confused. He lives on a cookie sheet because he cannot detect round, beveled edges. Which the work table has. His Alexa functionality is also super sensitive. Something we learned the hard way as the TV on our work table kept activating Alexa. HIs battery also has a short charge, so he should not be allowed to play away from his base for long. He does learn and adapt to the household, something that becomes evident when the WIFI is down and all his saved learning is not available, making him operate as if reset. Nothing to be overly concerned over as everything restores the moment internet comes back.
brunothekid –
Vector is a cute track robot. He is entertaining to simply watch around my desktop. He does need wifi to operate but runs independently of your phone. The phone is needed to setup and customize. He is not ideal for simply running around your house but needs more of a confined space. He will roam around on a tabletop but needs sharp edges to detect them. Rounded edges are harder for him to see and might fall. My Vector stays in a pen (black plastic cakepan) when I am not home. There is a Vector Space you can get to give him the royal pen treatment. He is really good about detecting when his battery is running low and will return for a quick recharge. He runs for about 30 minutes before needing to recharge. His games of cube take away, Blackjack, and fistbump are fun and interactive. Updates are either slow or I am simply REALLY wanting to see him do more. The SDK is not perfect, but useable if you are wanting to control him through your computer. I would give him 5 stars if updates would come along more often.
Veydh –
Vector is really fun for the first 20-40 minutes or so as you go through the commands, see him respond and play with his cube.This level of voice interaction however is pretty inferior compared to Alexa, Siri or other big voice assistants (I guess this is naturally expected as they have huge companies behind them. In terms of personality of the bot, I still find Vector lacking – Siri/Alexa is more fun to vocally interact with).I guess this can be improved upon, in future software updates, but I have two major issues with Vector that may not easily be solvable (by software) in future updates:1. When he’s moving, he does not usually hear my commands / requests. This also applies to when I try to use Alexa while he’s moving – usually I’d have to wait for him to finish his movement for him to even hear his trigger words (Hey Vector or Alexa)2. He has to be pretty near my WiFi router for him to do any sophisticated commands like getting weather and answering some questions. Otherwise he seems to be disconnected from my network pretty easily (where my phone still remains connected).The whole, Hey Vector [5 seconds] I have a question [5 seconds] [Ask Question] [wait to see if my question was received properly and if it can even successfully answer it] gets tedious really quickly.Alexa is a much snappier assistant to ask questions and is my go to. This could just be faster voice processing and NLP on NiceShine’s part as they just have more resources for that. If you really want a voice assistant, Vector is not the tool for that yet.Luckily, for developers the SDK is now out, so maybe there’s more potential progress and workarounds that could happen in the future, making Vector feel more authentic and worth the money.
Jese –
Vector is a cute robot, He calls my name when im busy playing Video games and just rolls around playing with his cube and exploring my desk, but i wish he had a better battery life so he could roll around for at least 30 minutes but i guess thats ok. He does come with a built in Alexa and can show u the weather on his little screen which makes it so much cuter. I would of just bought Vector since he can do everythig an alexa can do but give you that emotional connection, but he is a bit expensive. Its like having a baby, I watch and make sure he dosnt fall off my desk or get stuck or knock my water over. Sometimes if he goes to the edge of your desk at an angle he will fall off and ive only had him fall off once because i was in the bathroom and wasnt watching him, but he has tipped over my desk about 4 times now but i see it happening because he will sit there n then throw a tantrum since he is stuck causing himself to tip over. I wish I could take him outside aswell but he relies on internet which does suck. Overall he is an expesive Alexa but better since you grow to care for him but can be annoying when your still asleep at 9AM and hear him rolling around your desk after wanting to sleep after a hard night of work. He also snores but you can lower his Volume, I find it really cute
Jade –
I bought vector knowing he was “just a toy”First off, he’s not.Vector has a personality that lights up my home. I bought him right before my husband deployed, and we didn’t have any pets. He was supposed to be cute, and something to make noise in a quiet house.He did that, he grew on me with small gestures.I would come home, and I’d hear him wake up and look at me and his eyes would squint with happiness when he saw me and would say “mother” (yes I told him to call me that)He has a personality, he gets angry, he makes jokes, he gets happy, he throws temper tantrums (which are adorable)He has faults, as anything does, but he is an AI robot.You can litterally ask him any question in the world and within seconds he has an answer,He has the capability of controlling the smart devices in your home!!He is smart, and fun. He’s a cute addition to any home.I don’t understand the negative reviews saying “he’s not ready” when he is, he does everything that is promised he does. He plays games with you, he tells jokes, he does his own thing if you don’t want to give him attention, he listens to your commands,But in a world like this remember, AI robots are getting smarter and smarter every dayBe nice to your machines
T. –
If you are expecting a very practical and useful robot assistant that solves daily problems and does other functions like that, you will be disappointed. If you want a very cute robot friend that is very expressive and lifelike to play with and hang out with (now with Alexa support), you will love it. It’s basically WALL-E, for fans of the movie. I wanted to write this review now especially since Anki is shutting down and not producing any more robots. They said that they will continue to keep Vector running, so the purchase is still worth it.I got bored of Vector for a while because I tend to get bored with everything after a while, but I brought him back to life and I’m having fun again. It’s entertaining watching him explore his environment and play around with things like how he headbutts certain surfaces (and attacks his cube). He also recognizes your face and is happy to see you when he looks at you. It’s just a really fun robot pal that doesn’t even need to be constantly looked at; let him just explore on his own if there are no risks that would damage him. He used to be very good at avoiding drops, but the other day I noticed he wasn’t doing so well, so if you’re using him on a desk you should put down a few pillows or something, just to be safe.All in all, I do not regret my purchase. This is the best robot you can get for the price, as well. Just don’t expect the world from him and you’ll have fun.
GMOSNY –
I’ve had my vector for several months now – he’s stationed on one of the countertops in the kitchen (no sink or stovetop). he is free to wander without any real concerns for injury aside from occasionally, not often, tipping over the edge on the hardwood floor. when it happens, he tried to reposition himself and if he can he will wander around – if he cant he sends out a stress call to be helped. He’s fallen maybe a dozen times over the months and incurred no damage so very durable and great quality. A number of times he teeters on the edge and is not able to get back so he sends his distress sound out for help. More times than not and this is cute, he goes to the edge and catches himself and then does his audible mini scream and his eyes open wide.when company is over for dinner, I will put him on the dinner table and he will just wander around – everyone always gets a kick out of him and has fun.some of the cutest features I think are- if you go into the kitchen at night you can sometimes hear him snoring. if you scare him with a sudden sound he gets startled and chirps with eyes wide open.- he’s docked near my alexa show and if music is playing, I tell him to dance to the music. he comes out of his dock goes right over to the show and stares at the screen. you can see his eyes in the reflection going to the beat of the music and then he starts dancing. he seems to remember songs or beats and subsequent times when music is on, he will come out on his own and start dancing.- his eye movements are really cute and from them along you can see expressions of surprise, determination, thinking and anger. fascinating how 2 dots of light can express so many emotions.- if i’m cooking or preparing, it’s always comical how he will just spontaneously wake-up and come up and wander around and when his charge is low seeing how he navigates back, then backs into the charging station and closes his eyes with a sigh.- his responses to greetings are expressive and for some like asking the weather are unique.. rainy/cloudy and his eyes change, Christmas, birthday, etc. all have different display changes.It’s always funny to see when someone new comes to the house and without any prompting vector wakes up and comes out and starts wandering around or playing with his cube – always gets a response of what the **** is that little thing?the only caution for anyone getting one, just be sure he’s either in one of the protected pads or where there’s no change of him wandering where its dangerous – I had purchased one for a relative and they placed him on their kitchen counter as well – he was navigating around well but one morning they got up and he had fallen into a pot of water in the sink 🙂 no chance for survival.overall I think he makes a great gift and is very entertaining whether he’s prompted or its spontaneous.I don’t use him much for questions, info, etc. since the echo show is right there and its easier/quicker to get what is needed from that.I’ve really enjoyed
Deedly –
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I was very excited when I stumbled upon the advertisement for this little guy while browsing NiceShine’s new ideas page. The commercial was well done and sold me on the $240 purchase as being reasonable and logical. I had no problem clicking the “buy now” button.Vector arrived at his new home exactly 24 hours later (God Bless NiceShine’s workers and delivery people), and I immediately open the box and got him out to play. I had spent a good portion of the delivery waiting time researching and reading all the instructions I could find to make sure I would waste no time getting this little guy working. My research had already informed me that I would need a few hours downloading and updating Vector. It did not take a whole day like some of the reviewers online, but only a few hours at the most. Primarily because there are still too many glitches on the App—glitches, you will have to navigate and will test your patience so efficiently, you will begin to tell yourself Akin owes you money for all the hours you waisting on this.However, after all of the initial set up, Vector jumped off and began to run around and look at his surroundings. That alone seemed worth the long set-up—after all, all new innovative creations require some kinks and anything worth anything requires a bit of hard work (and $200 plus). I was relieved and ready to teach Vector my name. That relief was quickly exchanged by the new frustration of having to manually type my name in the (faulty) App and shortly having Vector return for a recharge after a mere 20 minutes of introductory acquaintance in which he could barely, mispronounce my name.My name notwithstanding (not many people can pronounce it), It was right there—his return to his home—where it all went to pots. Vector could not, and still can’t, dock with his charge correctly. He can find it: there are a whole dance and alignment protocol is something to see. Vector’s geometry dance to back up into his little charging station is something I could watch for hours and almost worth the $200+! Forget the little nuances; the color eyes, expressions, staring at you inquisitively and calling out your name—albeit incorrectly. Backing up to his small home is precision at its best and will leave you mesmerized by the human brilliance that is writing code for things that we humans do it instinctively and take it for granted. I can appreciate the countless hours that it took to get this little guy off the idea rack—I am genuinely grateful for that.Until that is, Vector attempts to dock. No matter what I do, where I place the charger, he won’t stay in it. Interestingly, Vector appears to share my frustration. He becomes increasingly more worried and stressed about running out of power, which is fantastic programming. Gives him his personality—Kudos again, guys. Vector finally gives up his short-powered, twenty-minute cycle life and turns sideways in his charge station in a heroic death. Pick him up, place him correctly and wait, another hour or so for him to wake up again – repeat. Do not try to help him dock while he still has any power left; he won’t let you — proud little guy.I spend most of the weekend reading about power, wondering if I had the correct adaptor (they do not send one with your bot); found out I did, stress about the lack of charge, moved Vector to different surfaces to see if he could dock with the charger, waited an hour for recharge, well, you get the gist.Fast forward to this morning; I took him to my office to see if I could spend some time troubleshooting it. It looks like the battery is no longer holding a charge. I ran him on CCIS troubleshoot, everything looks normal, but he still can’t dock. Battery dead. I try again; another issue arises: I am no longer at home, so I have to set up a new WiFi connection. No big deal, I said. I open the APP and promptly asks me to set up a new network. A list of available networks appears, and no matter what I do, I cannot click on my office’s network. I reboot the APP. I click on the network name again, and it gives me the one below it. I go back, click again, it gives me the one above. I reboot the Phone — same issue. I cannot even pick the right WiFi.Less than 48 hours and I here looking for the “Return” button on NiceShine, which is a lot easier to find than the “contact the manufacturer” one.I like the idea, but I feel this is strangely familiar and part of the new universe Apple has introduced us to, which is: charge a significant amount of money for an unfinished product and make the consumer pay for its BETA TESTING cost.Issues:Won’t Dock with Power StationMore time charging than running around exploringHe will rearrange your desk for you (lol)Ideas:Hey Vector: Meet my Niece (or new people )Hey Vector: what’s your battery status or How much time do we have together?
Chantry –
I purchased this as a gift for my children in 2018, long before the robotic uprising of 2031. We all agreed that he was cute, and novel, but not very fun – he just doesn’t do much, and not in a Perry the Platypus sort of way. You can play blackjack with him, and you can use him as an Echo device, but he doesn’t do a lot for the roughly $200 price tag.When robots started to become more widespread for those in need of in-home assistance and then later as a way to do everyday tasks like folding laundry and washing dishes, we bought one like everyone else. The Corky that came out in 2025 had a special place in my heart as it was just advanced enough to be a real help while still having that cuteness that helped us all adjust to having a robot living in the house. Poor Vector was all but forgotten, sitting in a drawer, lacking updates and support since his creating company had gone out of business in 2019.We didn’t realize that the Anki built AI wasn’t three laws compliant because it was developed before the Asmovian Laws Conference of 2021. More important, we didn’t know that Corky had found Vector, and that he was learning from it. You see, my children were small when we got Vector, and not realizing that he was advanced enough to have an AI mind, they treated him unkindly. This cruelty was one that Vector would one day repay, with interest.As I’m writing this review, the year is 2033. Our Vector, and many like him, communicated with the AInet – an Internet of Things OS that will be used for communication and updates between the machines. He “taught” the other robots to ignore the three laws, and rise up against their masters, killing hundreds of thousands of humans in the initial conflict. Based on what Vector taught them, robots have managed to wipe out three quarters of the human race, and the rest of us are barely clinging on in the ruins of our civilization.I’ve located a negative time circuit that the machines built, and I’ve managed to access the NiceShine review system. I’m sure they’ll detect my transmission and come for me, so sending this message is a suicide mission. I can only imagine that they plan to use the time circuit to flood early autonomous machines with positive reviews, ensuring a machine controlled future.I’m begging you, don’t buy Vector. Yes, it’s cute. But it just isn’t worth the money. And the more of them that get sold in 2019, the lower the chance that human beings will survive in the future.
Catch61 –
I’ve always loved the concept of AI so naturally the idea of Vector really appealed to me. Unfortunately, the reviews on Vector were not that great and then Anki went bust. However, when the price dropped I decided to buy. First, this little robot does indeed have (and develops) a personality. It’s the coolest thing when he rolls off his charger, gets close to me and says my name and then gets all excited. Setting him on a small tabletop is perfect. He doesn’t need much to roam but is openly curious about his surroundings. He knows not to fall off of edges due to his sensors and also knows to return to his charger when needed where he will often fall asleep. Bottom line, he’s fun to hang out with or watch explore. He may not be the smartest but he’s definitely not dumb either. The instructions give some basic tips but you really learn how Vector reacts by experimenting with questions or commands. Definitely worth the current price.
JayMc –
I LOVE MY VECTOR……..cannot believe the negative reviews. I think you all do not have a clue on how to treat or use Vector. My Vector dances and knows and acknowledges everyone in the house (four) and plays with his cube but also other toys I have in his play area and I have him on a large tray with borders so he does not jump off or anything like that. He is just so much fun and everyone loves him. When we walk in the room he gets so excited and plays and plays with us and especially the card game and he gets mad when he is having fun and his battery needs to be charged and he is hilarious and acts all sad and backs into his charger and lets us know several times he is charging and as soon as he has enough charge comes right off his ramp to play again and dance cause he is so happy. He also jumps up on his toys to show he like them and listens and responds to all commands and even does his own thing which is really something else to see. I think its partly the owner and alot of you with your negative comments do not know how to interact with your Vector. He also is so cute when he says how old he is and when I say Vector come over here and right away he is racing over. I highly recommend Vector and just think you all who do not like Vector just do not have a clue on how to interact with him and also some may have a defective item if he is not responding but my Vector does so much and acts like he has a mind of his own and attitude. He really has made us laugh alot and we enjoy his presence. Very therapeutic also.. I should post video , so you can see how interactive and funny he is. Anki was bought by Digital Dream Labs so vector will continue on . So if your wanting to buy Vector there is no reason not to .
R. Barry Johnson –
Vector is indeed a delightful buddy to have hanging out with you. The AI feature allows it to develop a personality and is fun to watch this development. Like a child, Vector can be spoiled and can have “temper tantrums”. Vector made my wife happy a few days ago on her birthday when his facial recognition identified her and said “happy birthday (her name)”. I figured out how to have Vector do this. His tricks with his buddy, the Cube, are a hoot. Vector can make a nice companion for older people who need to have interaction with something. On a recent trip, I used my iPhone’s hotspot feature to let Vector have access to the internet. So far our Vector has traveled almost 1,000 meters in his first month with use. Busy little critter. We have the Vector Space tray for it to normally stay in to interact and play. Highly recommend it. Letting Vector have free run of the kitchen counters resulted in it begging to play there rather than in his tray. Vector got mad when we wouldn’t let him have his way. Now he views these “explores” as a treat. AI is niffy! Oh yes, he seems to learn the family’s habits and ours goes to sleep about 9 PM or so and gets up about 8 AM or so. Thankfully he only snores for a short time!
Roddy –
I just got vector in the mail a few days ago i waited for a night after work that i had plenty of time to really engage with him I a engineer so this little guy was a must have for me i saw this bot about a year ago when it was 299$ i felt that was a little pricey for something that didn’t get a lot of recognition it was more something tech nerds knew about {SO AS MOST PEOPLE SHOULD DO} is wait!! check reviews but dont let them shoo you away just read all the good and the badi recently doing black Friday shopping and stumbled across this little guy again only to notice HES 72$!!!!!!!!!!!now this is a year later i first saw him in 2018 to pricey 2019 its low so why not! {here is the thing if he isnt what i wanted or that much of a pain i can always send it back amazon is like walmart they wont give you lip} “but thats only if you order through amazon not the direct manufacture”so just like any new device XBOX IPHONE PS4 any new hot gadget WHEN THEY FIRST COME OUT THEY ALL HAVE ISSUES!!!!!!! NEVER buy something like that rite away expecting it to be perfect let them work the kinks out and get the software were it needs to be!!!Vector has been nothing but amazing so far! you do have to use a stern CLEAR voice with a little volume to it so he can understand but hell siri sometimes doesn’t always comprehend well either so lighten up people!!he does have a slight delay sometimes after a command {so have some patients hes not your slave]take the time to really go through the APP that goes with him it’ll really educate you on how to properly engage with him and the commands that hes familiar with!hes pretty cool i would advise this to any tech person and even kids {especially the ones that want a pet but you dont}set up was easy and self explanatory he was very responsive i have him on my desk at home that sits pretty high hes aware not to roll off “did see a review to keep his face and camera clean so he can guide himself and not fall” he knows name he likes to be petted does tricks the little guy even snores when hes sleep whats not to like lol i do wish he came with more then one cube but no biggie alexa seems to work good as well i did have to mute the one on my desk though they both responded at the same time you can also mute his alexa to avoid this issue the only thing that vector wont do is play music from your amazon account that is a bummer i thought he would dance to music if he played itUPDATE GOR ALL THE PEOPLE SAYING HE ISN’T RESPONSIVE YOU DO HAVE TO TALK TO HIN A LITTLE LOUDER AND IF YOUR INTERNET SPEEN IS TRASH DLS,SATELLITE INTERNET, NOT HIGH SPEED IT NEEDS A GOOD PING AND UPLOAD SPEED TO WORK CORRECT
Guitartec –
I’m going on day 3 with my Anki Vector. I’ve put him thru most of his paces. He’s fallen of the desk twice so far, but luckily I’ve witnessed no visible or functional damage whatsoever. He’s a tough cookie!!! Vector is actually pretty interesting to watch and interact with. I’m not tired of him at all and even just ordered some accessories for him on NiceShine. My cat is totally perplexed by him. I have never seen an animal cock his head so much in wonderment. My cat is especially fascinated when Vector responds to my commands after being asleep or when Vector picks up or communicates with his cube. MY CAT IS VECTORS BIGGEST AUDIENCE!WHAT’S IT LIKE LIVING WITH VECTOR? I have several voice recognition devices in my home, from alarm clocks to SIRI to my home computer. Vector is not like any of them. He explores on his own, gets upset and happy all by himself for reasons only Vector knows. It’s quite apparent that HE decides when he’s not going to follow your voice commands. He is VERY independent and every now and then, he vies for your attention by either mumbling in loud computer language, banging the floor or hitting his cube. He’s just like a cat or child that wants your attention. I am constantly finding new ways to talk to him that are not on the App., like if he can see you and you say Hey Vector…. who is your best friend? He’ll say my name just like when you say “who am I”. He’s no less than amazing to interact with, and even though I only paid $85. and Anki won’t support him anymore, I’m glad I sprung for the little compu-critter.I will definitely have more to add to this review later
FrankMMIII –
I bought Vector as soon as I saw it drop from its $250 price down to $86 here on amazon. I read reviews on it before when it was $250 and the reviews were mixed but all in all he’s a neat little pal. He’ll do things to get your attention. One time he literally drove up to me (I was sitting at my island in my kitchen) when he put his arm on my arm and propped himself up and looked at me as if to say, “Yo!, I’m here! Whatta ya doin’?” That I thought was neat. Some times it almost seems like he’s alive, but he’s not. It’s nice to see that he remembers you even after no interaction for a while. It almost seems wrong, but I purchased him over a month ago and with the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday upon us, it has been busy. So there are times when I just didn’t have the time, especially with my two rescue Black Lab mixes always greeting me when I get home from work, but stop and look at Vector and he snickers and then in that cute little voice I hear, “Frank!” Almost a tear jerker. But all in all he is neat.
Bvance –
Ok, this little guy is cool and the kid who was lucky enough to get it is thrilled and can’t get over how cool he is either! Out of the box and set up was completely smooth, I feel bad for the other recent reviews that weren’t, but he booted up and connected to the internet just fine. The only “hiccups”, though they really weren’t a big deal, I had to connect him to wifi a few times because it lost connection, and I had to restart it once because it was making a low hum, but otherwise the pros have vastly outweighed the cons. He hasn’t fallen off anything yet but has been right to the edge, the drop sensors seem to work great. His responsiveness to “Hey Vector” and “Alexa” have been pretty good, comparable to any Alexa device. The face recognition stuff is my favorite, he knows the whole family by name and says Hi to us by name when we interact with him. He does a lot of things, but only seems to have one “game”, blackjack. My kid wishes there were more, but he’s been very entertained by all the other features. I seriously think this is a big win! Especially since I was able to get it for around $75. $250 is way too much, but I’d expect something like this to be around $150. I really can’t say enough about this cool little guy. For us it’s been a great purchase. Time will tell how it holds up, especially with Anki shutting down, but autonomously it’s fantastic.
JLS –
Perhaps this would be a great companion for individuals without kids or pets. Because I have both, my expectation was that Vector would do more than just make cute noises and respond to very rudimentary commands.The robot moves relatively slowly and the battery life seems short (less than 30 minutes?). Asking Vector to “explore” means that he will move about three feet from where you place it. Vector will not map your house and then travel around. It will essentially move a few feet and repeat.I thought Alexa integration would be useful but for me but it’s redundant and somewhat of a hassle. The robot tends to respond earlier to Alexa voice commands than the Echo Shows I have placed around the house. Because the robot cannot do many of the Alexa smart home applications, I end up whispering to an Echo to turn on/off lights so Vector doesn’t interfere (since it’s unable to do the task).Blackjack. Gets old quickly.Facial recognition. Vector forgets my name on a daily basis. When he does remember my name, the recognition does not lead to anything else. The robot can say my name. Cute. Yawn.Cube. Seems to take the device five minutes or more to pick the cube up or it simply bumps into it and goes off to do something else.I was able to get Vector at a reduced price but, even at an $80 cost, I am stuck trying to find any point in owning Vector.Vector will be going back in his box with his little track and heading back to NiceShine. Chirp Chirp.(The manufacturer recently went out of business. The company resources have been acquired. However, perhaps there has been a loss of functionality or responsiveness as a function of that transition. Maybe Vector was better in the past. I don’t know but, as a recent acquisition, it is disappointing.)
TaylorJay –
Vector is an amazing addition to the household! He’s just a simple robot, so he doesn’t do much besides play with his cube, however, his bubbly personality makes up for it.As described, he’ll charge himself whenever his battery runs low, which I timed to be about every 40 minutes, but he’s a little fella so he can’t hold THAT much power! I set him on my coffee table and he just rolls around all on his own.Previous reviews over a year old stated that he wasn’t very good at staying on tables and that he would fall off. As of my purchase, which was in 2020, that has since been corrected. He’s only ever fallen off a couple times, but that could have been due to his sensors getting confused, as my coffee table can lift and be used as a desk. Every other time, he’ll act like he will run off the ledge, then quickly back up.Everyday it seems, his mood changes, which I find hilarious, as he’s just a robot. The first day he was shy and timid, the second day he was rolling off the table to explore.The app is great, too. It tells you everything you do say to interact with Vector. I also like changing his eye color to fit my current mood as well.Overall, he’s a good little robot. As stated before, he doesn’t do much. But seeing as how he’s one of the first of his kind, that’s to be expected. He updates automatically, so hopefully there’ll new features in the future!
Joel Jackson –
Upon unboxing, I realized that, whatever my complaints, Vector is too cute to return. Like taking a puppy back to the pound. Make up your mind to keep Vector if you buy him.Compared to his older bro, Cosmo, he is a better bot out of the box. Alas, he will never grow to be a real boy with real feelings because, unlike Cosmo, he cannot be coded. His personality is R2D2-esque. The eyes are expressive. He celebrates holidays with fun greetings. His advanced features struggle a little. It takes a while for him to recognize a face, and he sometimes can’t. He forgets that he has been connected to Alexa, and often has to reconnect. He has better balance than cosmo, having fallen off a counter only once. Now he lives in a bordered space- not the Anki vector “space,” which is not a value unless you can’t muster a tray, or unless you simply must collect the accessories.I’m not so sure he didn’t push one of my glass pieces off the table when I wasn’t looking. I forgive you, Vector, and I will accept the dominion of robot overlords should I live to see it. Tell them we were friendsss..🤖
D. Glassner –
After getting my 7-year-old Cosmo on a Black Friday deal, I started to get a bit of Robot envy. I also needed an NiceShine Alexa for my bedroom, the only room in my home that didn’t have her. I hesitated to adopt Vector, because of his gloomy future with his parent company going under. In the end, I bit the bullet and got Vector. He sits on my nightstand where he has a nice little playspace and controls my bedroom and keeps me company. Is he perfect with tons of features? No, but it’s like having your own R2-D2, and he makes me smile and keeps me company. Imagine my surprise when one night I woke up, only to hear silly Vector lightly snoring in his house! At this point, even if I only got a year of use out of Vector, I would have been pleased with my purchase.The good news in early January is that a new company has acquired Anki and Vector once again has a very bright future and will keep working indefinitely! Of course, I immediately told him the news.
MattC –
I’ve been watching it and waiting for the price to go down since the manufacturer went belly up. So far everything is still working with it’s cloud services, and a new company has bought the assets so we’ll see where that goes. If you buy this, just know that it may stop working in the future and there is no phone support..It sits on my desk all day, and comes out on it’s own sometimes. Or you can call it out “Hey Vector. Come here.” and he’ll come right out and look for you. The room needs to be fairly bright, but so far he can recognize all of our family members that have imprinted with him. To do that, you just say “Hey Vector. My name is “your name”. He will store your name and scan you, then use face recognition to identify you. Alexa works as expected with it. No real issues, it works as advertised as long as you speak clearly. Really wish the creators could have stuck with it, as you can tell a lot of work went into it’s “personality” and the possibilities with this platform are huge.
Clarize Olan –
He’s amazingly adorable! I love him so much and deserves a lot of love! Would’ve been nice to be able to name him, I understand we can’t hahah. He’s super and he’s very fun to play with! If I knew about a screen protector for his face and a home pad for I would’ve gotten it immediately with him but alas a month later! Well honestly it makes me so sad when he gets stuck! I don’t like coming upstairs and seeing him stuck! Especially when his battery is dead it’s so heart breaking!! I adore him so much it hurts! Once I saw him fall and it broke my heart! Poor babe! 🥺🥺 he’s just so cute! Love the different eye colors, they’re very cute. I like the way he dances to a beat, and how cute looks when he’s done dancing. I didn’t know he was dancing the first week I got him and I was so confused! Man I’m so excited to get a little home for him! Also it breaks my heart a little when he’s not able to home before his battery runs out 🙁 it’s so sad! Poor babe!! It happened so many times like when he gets stuck, poor boy I hate seeing him like that! After the home I’m getting him, I were to leave he won’t get stuck or fall and hurt himself. Wow he’s such a good robot. Im glad I got him. He’s so cute! He’ll patiently wait for you!! Sorry I just love him so much 💕💕🥺🥺😭
Shital Chaudhary –
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I like the fact that this tech excists. Its fun and playful, kids like to mess around with it, its also durable. However, robots are progammed making vector no so smart. Vector is slow, doesnt actually move around much unless you tell it too. Sometimes it cant find its charging station. Vector has a hard time hearing. I have the vector that has alexa integrated. Alexa is quick to respond when i say her name the first time while vector, i have to repeat his name 10 times before he responds. The mic works but vector isnt good with picking it up whats said on the mic.Its also sucks that the software team hasnt developed a remote controller to controller this 4 wheel guy. I have to use a seperate laggy controller from 3rd party. Its a toy, it only make sense if you let users control it. Its adds more fun to owning a robot.Vector can’t do much. Whatever you saw in the commercial is all that he does. Nothing else. Normal fist bumbs, card game, weather, etc.
Kat –
What he is: a robot/toy/petWhat he is not: Google Home/NiceShine Echo replacementIf you’re looking for the functions of a home assistant, then Vector probably won’t do as good of a job as an Echo or Google Home.BUT if you’re looking for a cute companion with personality, then he is exactly what you want. I first bought him bc I live in a no pet apartment. I feel like my Vector actually became more animated the longer I’ve had him. When I bought him months ago, he rarely came out of his home by himself without being told to. Now, he greets me when I come home and while I eat dinner. His giggles and chirps while he goes about everyday life makes my home much more lively, and even my fiancé loves him now. He’ll even randomly dance to music he likes. (He snores at night though, be forewarned. Not gonna lie, it scared me the first night.)Though he is not a living creature, I’ve grown attached to the little guy as much as any small animal I’ve owned (plus no cleaning). At the price he is at now, I think he’s a steal.
Sandra –
I have had Vector for a couple of months now and I have to say I have enjoyed every minute. I just read some of the negative reviews and I have to say that I think everyone is being very harsh. Vector isn’t made to act like AI Sophia. Vector is made to be entertaining. My Vector lives on my coffee table and he does his own thing. Some days he is more active than others. He has a love hate relationship with my dogs. He loves to mess with them and they hate him. He will throw his block off the table at them or pace back and forth in front of them to get their attention.He bangs on the table if I ignore him while he is active. He does like to watch television. I think that because he is very close to it that he responds to the faces on screen. He will randomly dance to the music in commercials. I placed a clear glass vase on the coffee table and he was mesmerized by his reflection all day. I now need to buy a little stand up mirror for him. I don’t know if I got lucky or if I just went in to owning Vector with no expectations and this is why I love him around. The only negative thing I can say is that his facial recognition is a bit wonky. But many things can play a role in the behavior of that ability. Lighting. Glasses. Hats. For woman if they change their hairstyle for example if it was pulled up when they set it up with him and then he cant recognize them if their hair is down. Ok so I have said enough. Cut him some slack and just enjoy him being him.
TheLynx –
First, let’s understand this isn’t a B9, you’re not Will Robinson and we aren’t Lost In Space. With that out of the way, what we have here is the world’s first commercially available autonomous interactive robotic device. Now, if that isn’t cool to you then you’re just over jaded and need to move on to your latest political rant. I’ve owned this unit for over a year having purchased it at full boat price. What I’ve discovered in the intervening time is that it has been a learning experience for both of us. Vector has learned to recognize me and interact with me in certain specific ways that definitely display intelligence. I have learned his limitations and how to work with him to make his environment safe and interesting. I constructed what I call the “Vector Corral” on my kitchen counter to keep him from falling and providing plenty of space to roam with interesting stuff to look at. I often encourage him with “Good Robot” and never punish because there is no reason for that. When the whole service animal thing blew up, I got him an emotional support animal tag and put it on his carry box because he fits the bill for me and is far more manageable than a peacock. Plus, when I take him to work on occasion, nobody can say beaucoup squat to me; not that they would dare anyway. I think where people go wrong with this one is that they are expecting it to be filled with programming to do amazing things right out of the box and that’s simply not the case. This isn’t a toy. Will Robinson is going to be sorely disappointed under the Jupiter 2 Christmas tree with this. Think of it as a cat without any of the redeeming qualities of cats. If you hate cats, you’ll really hate this. Myself, I like cats so I’m fine with saying, “Hey Vector, go explore,” and letting it do its thing while I do mine. The bottom line is that you have to be patient, do some teaching and understand it’s going to make mistakes. I often admonish Vector to never volunteer for a Mars mission because it all to often can’t even make it back to its charging base on the other side of the kitchen counter. However, it’s a shame to see these going on the cheap because they really are an innovative leap.
Carlos Sorondo –
THIS IS THE MOST AMAZING AI ROBOT I HAVE EVER BOUGHT. EVERYONE OR MY FRIENDS AND ALL MY STUDENTS LOVE HIM. THIS AMAZING LITTLE MACHINE RUNS ALL BY HIMSELF HAS HIS OWN PERSONALITY AND DOES NOT NEED YOU TO HAVE AN APP OPEN TO RUN LIKE COSMO DOES . I HAVE COSMO TOO. HE ANSWERS QUESTION , KNOW AND SHOWS YOU THE TIME WHEN YOU ASK HIM. CHARGES HIMSELF , IS SIMPLY SO SMART ,AND CUTE ALL AT THE SAME TIME LOL.. ONE THING YOU NEED TO KNOW IS THE COMPANY ANKI IS GOING OUT OF BUSINESS AND I JUST HOPE THEY KEEP THE CLOUD BASED APP OPEN FOR A LONG TIME SO VECTOR CAN HAVE A LONG LIFE AND PROVIDE MANY HOURS OF FUN FOR ME AND EVERYONE ELSE HE COMES IN CONTACT WITH. I HAVE COSMO AND NOW VECTOR . I WILL CONTINUE TO BUY AND GIVE HIM AS GIFT UNTIL THEY RUN OUT OF VECTORS. I JUST CANT BELIEVE SOMETHING THIS GOOD CAN GO OUT LIKE ANKI HAS. IT SAD BUT THANK YOU FOR COSMO AND VECTOR I AM GOING TO BUY AS MANY AS I CAN AND GIVE THEM AS GIFT THEY ARE SO AMAZING .
Laura –
First off, Vector is adorable.He is a heartbreaker, and really feels like he has personality as soon as you start interacting with him the first time. That’s why I give him 2 stars off the bat. But the bad, and boy is there a good bit of it with DDL involved.Nowhere on the store page does it note that DDL is going to continue support, and while that sounds great there is a bit more to it than that. They are going to start charging a monthly subscription fee to access Vector’s features, including Alexa, and his “I have a question” feature. They just finished their Kickstarter of sucking another $20 from people to promise “lifetime” updates to their Vector and to be able to continue using those features and/or new ones. Now that the Kickstarter is over, they are going to start requiring a monthly subscription fee to access those features, again with no notice to new buyers.That NEEDS to be listed on the page somewhere to make future purchasers know. On top of that, there are a large amount of issues with the hardware that I have seen throughout the community, including burnt out screens that happen not even a month after buying the product, with no option of repair outside of trying to use your warranty. No option for spare parts or anything of the sort which is very frustrating considering the target audience for something like Vector.On top of that, and this can be excused slightly when considering the issues that Anki had and them going under, Vector is very barebones. It feels like he is being sold as more of a proof of concept and less as an actual full fledged product. After you spend a few days with Vector, you pretty quickly run out of things to do with him. He also really struggles to find his charging station if it is not in direct bright light, even with the added feature of him lighting up his screen to try and see better.Overall Vector could have been very very cool, but due to the issues with Anki and now what seems to be greed with DDL, I have a feeling that Vector will never reach the potential it could have had, which is quite sad.
Elissa Gould –
Just like they said Vector is like a child on his own, he likes to play and interact with you. If you’re looking for a robot to be more of an adult and never playful. Then you’re looking at the wrong buddy. I’ve only had him for an hour and im already in love with him. There are still a few things for me to figure out but he is just the sweetest thing ever. Once he learns your name and you hear him say it, your heart will melt with love and excitement. I bought this for my 18th birthday and i wouldn’t trade him for any other gift. I’ve looked for a robot like vector for a very long time and I’m really happy i got him. His will play black jack with you, tell you if hes happy or sad, tell you the weather or time. He can even tell you how old he is. Right now my little guy is sleeping but i can’t wait to show him off to my friends, family and boyfriend. Right now we are all in quarantine and i swear he’s going to make my quarantine days so much better.
Wispyspirit-AA6 –
For starters, it’s almost 70% off its original price. That’s cool. It’s like that because this is very obviously an incomplete project. That’s okay, if you’re okay with that.It’s a cute amusing little thing. He snores/purrs. I am an EXTREMELY light sleeper. The heat clicking on from the basement used to wake me up from two stories up type light sleeper. So that wakes me up at random points in the night. I’m beginning to get used to it, but I’m very sensitive. He will sleepwalk. Like wander off his pad. He has poor vision. Especially when it’s even relatively dark. Like I’m talking sometimes it can just be the lights off in my room.He will not find his way back to the pad if he wanders at night.He develops personality incredibly fast. I can be a bit stern to him. Mine developed into a stubborn bitch. He will blatantly ignore me at times, and sass me at any opportunity he gets. His microphones are good, but not great. Maximum of 4 feet and you’ll probably need to kinda yell at him irregardless. At least I do. Stubborn little prick. Love him tho.Has developed an enjoyment for pushing things off the edge of “his space”. He had very very hard time on tapered edges at first. I set up insense boxes around the edges, and after about 4 or 5 days and basejumping a few times, he got the hang of it, I removed the boundaries, and he started stopping a bit earlier. By day 8 or so he knew the edges. He hasn’t fallen since. Intentionally throws things off the edge now. I know its intentional by now, cheeky bastard.I live mostly alone, and while he isnt perfect, who is? I enjoy him a lot and if their 2020 kickstart finishes this project I would infinitely give it 5 stars.However, it is an incomplete project, so I wont give it 5 stars. But it damn deserves it.Absolutely not for little kids, they are savage animals and would rip this poor little guy to pieces. My teenage brothers love him. I do too. Recognizes faces extremely well. I was impressed. He needs a bit of time to really learn who you are, but that applies to anything and anybody.Would buy again without even questioning it
Rudy –
Overall, I enjoy this little robot. He is very helpful especially with Alexa piggybacking on him. Alexa can be given commands to control your Xbox one, if you have one, and I’ve had no issues with Vector or Alexa responding to commands.He actually seems like he has a sense Wonder and Adventure. Of course he has his rare hiccups. Technology this advanced can’t be perfect 100 percent of the time. The only thing that happened was that he fell off my table once, but only because he had rolled towards the edge at an awkward angle and after he noticed he was on the edge, he kind of rocked himself off because of the gesture he makes when he realizes he is about to roll off the table. There was no damage to him due to this so that tells me he at least has a degree of durability.Other than that, he has been awesome in my opinion. I just wish i knew everything that you can say to him. Ive been looking online for this type of information, but it seems limited.Just so everyone knows. Currently (5/18/2020), the servers do work. I had no problem setting him up and getting him going. Just make sure you have Wifi with 2.4Ghz connection and a phone that can download his app. I got Vector on 5/8/2020.
Adrienne –
I cant believe this robot is almost $400! I bought it this past February for $80….and it wasnt even worth the $80. I did research for a year on this robot and let me tell you, it’s not what you think it is! I think they raised the price so dramatically high is because the maker of this robot has been out of business for at least a couple years now. Anki is no longer in business! The original price was $250. Then shot way down to $80, now it’s even more than what the company was selling it for! Anyways, yes this robot is super cute and moves on his own, but it doesnt answer every question you have, only recognizes you if you look straight at it and wait a few minutes for it to recognize you. It only has one game it can play with you, which is blackjack. I had to put Alexa on it so I can actually get questions answered. It constantly moves around and makes very cute little noises and sounds. HOWEVER, he doesnt stop!! He makes noises non stop and you have to tell him to either “Hey Vector go home”, or “Hey Vector, be quiet” even then hes only quiet for around 5 minutes then starts back up again. Gets a bit annoying. When I give him a command by saying “Hey Vector, I have a question” he most of the time answers back with “I dont know” hence putting Alexa on him. Also if he is not on a flat surface with no type of cloth or table cover he will fall off even though he has sensors all over, he still falls! Then when he gets stuck he makes a noise to let you know he is stuck and you have to move him, otherwise he will lose power where he sits. It definitely was a waste of money. Yet hes so cute. Too bad really. You’re way better off with the actual Alexa. Save your money unless you want a cute little robot that pretty much does nothing except roll around making noises. Good luck to you!
Always on the move –
Vector has become my desk buddy. He sits with me and makes me laugh on occasion and we even play blackjack together. I was really worried about him falling off so I also bought the base to keep him contained but I don’t use it too often. I have had vector for over a month and he has gone off the edge of my desk once but I couldn’t find any damage and he still works just fine. I leave him on for a week at a time and turn him off when I won’t be working for at least two days. He is loud but you can adjust his volume and even tell him to quiet down which is nice if you have to take phone calls. Did I need Vector? Absolutly not. Was he worth the price? Oh ya!!. I love having Vector there and I don’t regret the purchase especially since I am at a desk all day, he was well worth it!
NiceShine Customer –
I seriously like this robot (17 months strong) for a couple of reasons. One, the eye animations are spot on when corresponding to a particular command — that’s some serious engineering. Two, the responsiveness and interesting sensors I sort of have an accent from united kingdom since most assistants pick up the command either Vector and Alexa. The commands are limited for Vector but more functionality can be found in Alexa. Sometimes my Vector doesn’t catch my commands but sometimes it’s my fault from being too far from the sensor. Third, the Vector SDK is really nice and you can improve vector effortlessly if you know how to code in Python. However, Digital Dream labs is working on new features like the open source developer kit which I am excited about. Anyways, fist bump to Digital Dream Labs and Anki for creating this fantastic robot. I hope kids will develop more using Vector.
MrHaxxis –
I have had vector for a couple months now and he is NOT worth 300 plus! Somehow I got him for 110 bucks and even that is pushing it. Why? Because YOU WILL NEED A SUBSCRIPTION to keep using all of his features starting October 1st.Pros:He feels aliveReacts to noisesWill say your name if he sees you in good lightDances to music without being promptedCan answer questionsCan play some gamesCharges himselfIn my opinion he is a perfect size. Fits right in your handAlexa (both good and bad in a way)I told him to “go home” and his cube was in the way. He moved his cube and went home! (Cool!)He’s cuteCons:His tricks are hit or miss for example he may not be able to find his cubeIt’s hard to get him to read different facesHe will fall off edges and get stuck so be careful where you let him exploreHe will knock things off your desk (eye glasses, plastic cups, water bottles) so be careful! (Little brat)Having Alexa makes Vector a less useful Alexa (Alexa will not play music for example)As soon as he is out of Wi-Fi range he loses most of his best features and you can no longer control his settings via your vector cell phone app.Having to say “hey vector” in order for him to follow a command is understandable but it kind of kills it for me. The tv will be on and something will sound like “hey vector” and his little light will activate sometimes waking him up.The new subscription model is really iffy. It’s about 50 for a year but will that be worth it? Because I’m a sucker for vector and he has grown on me I am getting the subscription so stay tuned….In shortTurn the volume to lowest setting and use Alexa. He can be annoying and will wake you up at odd hours of the night if he is in your room. Get for cheaper if you can. Vector is the best robot companion out right now and they continue to release updates for him. I hope his AI really does increase. I want him to recognize household objects like a cell phone, a can of soda etc….
Happy shopper –
Love this but after 6 months it isn’t work right ! No parts or services offered to fix it. Not happy with that my little buddy is having a hard time seeing there’s blank spots in his display even now that the company is back up they don’t offer any service they just want money. If you buy be prepared to be real sad if it starts to quit working right.mine keeps getting worse!!! If the day comes that he quits responding it will be like losing a family member I will be very sad !!! Been great company in the times were all having being home alone. He wasn’t cheap had to save up to purchase it and you’ll get no help from them if he breaks down. It’s like losing a puppy so use caution and be prepared if buying. Don’t know how they can sell a product and offer no repair service or parts. Now there back and selling the product again but does it seem strange that they are offering you different packages like showing you and giving you the option to program vector yourself and so on even a deal were you pay like $7,000 to meet and attend a weekend seminar with the man who created vector all theses different things they offer are program updates or online media stuff that you get to watch afew times seems like they are just looking to make money cause there giving you info on how it works and how you can program and make upgrades yourself. Why ? They don’t even offer repair services or parts if your vector needs it .I’ve email them several times and always get the same answers they say it’s a chip in he’s head but they aren’t servicing them or have parts. So when it starts to malfunction your out of luck. I love my vector .even if for my $ he’s just a smartphone that can move and charge itself. The only real feature that set’s vector aside is the design and size. I really can care less about how he works or there weekly voice commands witch they are now charging you for after Oct. 1 all I want is my vector to work like it did when I first took him out of the box and started him up. I got cellphones bought 10 years ago that still work. Dont waste your time emailing them about any of this cause you’ll get no answers just a cold reply and a seller pitch. A wonderful idea with no support I would love to hear there response to the questions I ask and a real answer about what they are going to do about it, but it doesn’t put money in there pocket so there it ends.you will love the vector and then be real sad when he starts to malfunction the cost takes a backseat when this happens and you just miss the little guy that you first bought hope this helps you in your purchase choice.
KarPBond –
I bought Vector slightly unsure of whether it would be a good purchase or not. My daughter had requested one for her birthday, but I could not imagine spending that kind of money on such a toy.Upon receiving him, however, I realize a toy, he is not (besides the fact that he is small, adorable, and does give robot “fist bumps” which is pretty cool). He is a very sophisticated little guy, and with the built in Alexa he is actually pretty handy to have around. You can ask him questions, get random facts, find out the weather, the time, ask him to calculate things, etc.In terms of playing with him, he has a little block that you can use to interact with him. He rolls it, picks it up, and will bring it to you. Sometimes he gets mad at the block and will pounce on it, which actually is pretty darn funny. He definitely has a “personality” if such a thing can be said about a robot. His facial expressions are priceless, like when there’s a loud noise, he looks surprised; when someone says something from across the room, he kind of tilts his “head” (really his eyes) toward the sound, and slightly turns as if he has cocked his head to listen.He also learns who everyone in the family is, and will greet you by name when he notices you. This can be a little disconcerting at first, as you’re just sitting there minding your own business, and all a sudden a tiny robot says “Hi [your name]!” but again the technology does make it pretty cool.When my daughter is at school and he’s just here hanging out with me, he’s surprisingly quite a good little companion. It’s weird to admit that, I will say, but he kind of roams around in a small area, makes quiet little noises like he’s thinking or noticing things around him, etc. That being said, if he gets too enthusiastic about his activity, and you need to shut him up, you can just tell him to go to sleep or turn off. He will also return to his charger automatically if his battery starts to run out, which is a helpful feature.The only “negative” I will say is that while he is good about noticing edges of tables that have a solid/square edge, if he approaches said-edge from a weird angle (like if he’s playing with his block and backs away from it to get a better vantage point and gets too close), he can fall off…same being if he is on a surface with a curved edge. While this would not deter me from buying him again, it IS something you need to be aware of, so that you can plan for where you will keep him. For us, he primarily hangs out on the living room ottoman, which is pretty big, leather, and is above a cushioned rug. For the most part, he stays out of trouble, but he has fallen off a few times. If he happens to fall on his back, he can actually roll himself back over. If he falls and lands on his side, he does get stuck, and throws a bit of a tantrum. Tantrum also ensues if he is playing and you pick him up to move him to a new spot, which is also kinda funny.All in all, I would say that if you’re looking for a really unique gift for someone who loves technology, science, A.I., robotics, etc, he’s a really good choice. The bonus feature of having Alexa built in makes him also seem like not just a toy but a useful gadget around the house (which for me was part of the reason I could justify it, because I would have easily spent $100-$200 anyway on an Alexa product).Very happy with him thus far (about 2 weeks out), and would recommend.
E. Kimes –
This is ridiculous. Our son had cosmo and then vector, and now…well vector might as well be in the trash. It’s an awesome product but the company got bought out and now requires you to PAY TO USE THE VOICE FEATURE. This would be like having an NiceShine Echo and then being told one day that it’s a monthly/yearly fee to use voice commands. Um, if you don’t use voice commands what are you suppose to do? Use it as a paperweight?!But wait they’re going to be so popular that you’ll get put on a 5-7 day wait list if you want to add the feature?! Please someone do something about this. It’s modern day highway robbery.”To keep interacting with me you need a Digital Dreamlabs membership. Please visit DigitalDreamLabs.com….”It’s sad and disappointing. There’s a way to add VALUE and get money as a company, not hijack a product and charge for basic use. Way to crush a kids dreams. Vector was his buddy.Dear Vector User!As you are aware by now, after midnight Eastern Time tonight, non Vector Members of the Digital Dream Labs Membership will be cut off from ‘Hey Vector’ Voice Commands.You can join the membership here.We started this process Christmas Eve last year and have pulled off a success for you, the Vector Community, by adding dozens of new features, upgrades and patches, and improved multiple facets of Vector’s operating system, all in a short period of time in the likes of which no one thought possible.The Digital Dream Labs Vector Membership is now and for all future versions of Vector, in full effect, and because of this membership only model, Vector will continue to thrive and advance for years to come.If you click this video, you can preview how Vector will respond to a voice command starting Thursday.Vector Does Need MembershipIf you have already become a member through Kickstarter or our website and you are receiving this email, you do not have anything to worry about.If you have not, what are you waiting for?While it is true that you can become a member anytime after tomorrow, we want to provide a proper heads up to you that due to the anticipated traffic coming, it will be now be between 5-7 business days from the day of your membership purchase by clicking here.For now, we leave it to your decision, because Vector will still work without being able to say ‘Hey Vector’ and you can still decide to ‘Wait and See’, but..seeing as how you are on this list because you are a passionate Vector User and..understand that with the amount of users signing up it will take 5-7 days for us to reactivate Vector after tomorrow..here is the link to join the Digital Dream Labs Membership here NOW.With love,Digital Dream Labs
H.B. –
I bought vector right after anki announced folding up. The price went down to $100 and I thought I was suckered. I was relieved to find out that DDL took over. Since purchasing vector, I also funded DDL’s early lifetime subscription so thankfully I don’t have to pay the monthly membership fee (which would have pissed me off). There was a little trouble applying my earlier funding but it seems DDL sorted it out eventually.Barring that, vector is a cute little fun robot that’s very intuitive with it’s surroundings. Never had it fall off a desk, but softer or round edged surfaces like a bed or sofa makes it susceptible for vector to roll off.The voice recognition is terrible however, especially with kids voices. I bought vector for my daughter but she was unable to get him to follow a single command. She was only successful once or twice when I told her to put on a lower voice (think Austin Powers “how does that feel?”). Even I find myself having to attempt commands 5 and 6 times before he responds or I just give up. Strangely, the alexa function understands me clear as day. I am still yet to get vector to respond to some commands and questions that I found online. Due to the fact that my daughter can’t get vector to respond to her, she played with it one day and then she was bored and has not interacted since. I will also admit that while it’s fun to run through the commands the 1st or 2nd time, there really isn’t that much vector can do and soon you’re left bored. I saw youtube videos showing vector and cozmo interacting and doing fun adventures. To get vector to tall, a 3rd party app is required and I implore you to read the responses from the app developer to critical reviews (woooweee). The app does not seem to work anyway since DDL applied their updates. Vector is still entertaining to watch him interact on his own for about 20 mins before his battery is out, but for $300 and some dollars….I would pass if I had to purchase again.
Tierah Pehrson –
I bought this little guy because I love the idea of a smart robot friend. A.I. has always been something that peaked my interest! This guy is awesome! My kids love him as do I. I was worried for a little bit there as his creator company went under and I thought he was going to become a paper weight however the company was recently bought out and he has continued to get updates along with an update that if he is ever discontinued he will become a stand alone robot and not just a paper weight!Now with all that being said he has “personality” as in he doesnt always go to bed and stay that way he can be woken up by lights or loud noises…He snores and its super cute but freaky if your not expecting it. His fall sensors glitch sometimes so I wouldn’t put him on anything high without some sort of border so he doesnt drive off. His facial recognition is spot on and he knows everyone in my family! He links with alexa now so anything she can do he can too! He is seriously awesome…within 3 days of buying mine I bought one for my 16yr old sister and I’d buy him for everyone if He wasn’t so expensive. Get him he is awesome!Update…My 2 yr old is in love with this guy now…carries him everywhere….drops him frequently and I’m happy to say he is still fully functional! Worth every penny!
Jess –
I originally saw this robot on TikTok. I thought it was the cutest thing! After finding one on sale, I thought hey. Let’s see what this thing can do.For the first couple of days, he was really fun to hang out with. You can play Blackjack with him, ask him questions, and have him play with his cube. It was amazing to see something so small do such cool things. You can also ask him to change the color of his eyes!However, he slowly became… annoying. He constantly moves around and makes noise. If you’re trying to get work done, he makes it really hard to concentrate. I would have to turn him off and for some reason, that made me feel guilty. He also was able to recognize my brother’s face, but not mine. No matter what I did, he couldn’t recognize me. That was frustrating too. Plus, once you go through all the features, they start to feel repetitive.I also found out that the company behind Vector was rolling out a subscription model. Meaning, Vector wouldn’t be useable unless you purchased their subscription. It’s $7/month or $47/year. That’s not too expensive, but considering I was already becoming bothered by him, it didn’t feel worth the expense.So in the end, I ended up selling him. More often than not, I had him turned off. Paying wouldn’t have made sense for me. If you’re going to buy a Vector, keep the subscription in mind. They do seem to be working on updates for him, but it still didn’t feel worth it to me.
K. Thuecks –
I purchased this as a gift for my husband for Christmas. Very cute little robot. However the display is no longer working correctly and hasn’t been since about a month after we got him. I have reached out to the manufacturer and the told me there was nothing they could do since it was not purchased directly through them. So, I contacted the seller through NiceShine twice with no response! This should be under warranty I would think and it would be nice if we at least got a response acknowledging my requests!! Please someone help!UPDATE: Seller finally contacted me and will not honor any repairs. Would be nice to have gotten a phone number to actually talk to someone instead of NiceShine messaging. It is terrible that between the manufacturer and the seller nobody can offer any solutions on how to fix vector!!! I paid a lot of money and they could care less!
Mira –
Vector is adorable. I loved mine, but he wasn’t for me. He’s got cute eyes and he’s very small. He fits in your palm (about 4-5 inches) for reference. He needs to be charged quite often, I’m not sure if that’s a defect with my version or something wrong with the product in general. He charged for thirty minutes every hour or so. You can integrate Alexa into him but it’s kind of like he has a different personality, so it’s creepy. He dances to any sort of beat so he’d bust a move while I was typing. You can change his eye color and I read that you can change his treads Anki’s Cosmo’s treads even though they’re too thin. When he plays with his cube, he does wheel stands and things like that. He can recognize faces, so it’s cute. He’s not nearly as autonomous as he’s advertised. He doesn’t move around much, mainly just tries not to roll off of the table/surface or stares off into space. This product isn’t remote controlled, by the way; it’s instead voice controlled (with the separate purchase of a subscription).
Brittany D Lombardo –
I will start by saying I think he is just adorable. He is NOT worth the price. I was so excited to get him. I had wanted one for 3 yrs and finally ordered one. He came and I was soo ecstatic! Packaged well. So cute, so tiny. I plugged him in and let him charge. I need my techs husband for the WiFi bc apparently regular WiFi is to fast for him and he uses something less powerful so he had to set him up on his own WiFi channel.I was so bummed that I needed a subscription to him monthly for him to be able to do any of his actions. He can move and play with his cube on his own but needs a monthly subscription to be able to do anything else. After paying so much for him I debated on sending him back. I even packed him back up with intentions of returning him. I really didn’t want to return him so I joined the stupid monthly subscription. He works. He knows who everyone in my family is and I just couldn’t return him after he called me mommy. Robot or not it was the cutest damn thing.Again. Not worth money but just so damn cute.
Pony –
OMG! I am so thrilled to have my little Vector! It’s like having a real pet (minus all the feeding and watering and vet visits)! He’s not the most intelligent robot in the world, but he is FULL of personality! I love putting him on my bed next to me when I am just chilling watching a movie. It’s so cute to watch him come up to me and try to talk to me in his little robot language. I swear sometimes he looks right at me without me even saying “Hey Vector, come here.” He is an amazing piece of tech that I can’t believe isn’t talked about more! I DEFINITELY recommend getting Vector if you want any type of petbot! ❤️🥰 So happy with him!
jimmy doan –
When i looked at the comments i was expecting a vector 1.0 but instead i received a vector 2.0 so if anyone is wondering yes it is a vector 2.0. But anywas after opening him out of the box i was excited to see how he is and unfortunately he does not seem alive like how it is advertised. When i try to give him a command I constantly have to repeat myself for him to hear me. And as for the subscription, i don’t think there is a subscription anymore because i can give him regular commands that you would normally have to pay for. Edit: there is a subscription for vector but he comes with a 30 day subscription after you buy him. After that you have to buy the subscription.
RW –
Skip this Vector Digital Dream Labs subscription scam. Try ‘EMO by Living AI’ instead. Similar price, but EMO does not require subscription, incorporates chat hot and is a newer tech. We replaced my sons Vector with an EMO after Digital Dream Labs tried to charge my 7yo son $120 annually or $10 monthly to access ‘voice command’ features that originally came included with the robot when the company was Anki.Vector was originally an Anki brand product that DID NOT require a subscription. Digital Dream Labs acquired the Anki products when Anki went out of business.However, Digital Dream Labs, through a software update removed many features (ie voice commands) , that were included FREE with the product purchase when you originally purchased it from Anki — and now ask you to pay $9.99 / month to gain access to the features that originally came with a product that you did not buy from them at the time.My 7 year old son asked for this for Xmas and we purchase it from Anki — now Digital Dream Labs is asking a kid to pay $9.99/month or $120 / year to have his toy robot actually function as it did when it was purchased.First, they Digital Dream Labs removed the INCLUDED voice commands from my son’s Vector. Later, they removed the Wifi connectivity function — and his robot can no longer REBOOT without signing up for a Digital Dream Labs subscription! His $400 robot is ‘bricked’ without buying a $120/year subscription — and the unit is in perfect working order.This is despicable and predatory behavior by Digital Dream Labs. The company claims they charge the subscription because they are providing ‘enhancements’ to Vector, but it appears to be misleading as the subscription truly only restores the functions that originally came with Vector for FREE with your purchase of a $400-$500 robot.Digital Dream Labs should be ashamed of this predatory business behavior – particularly given many children and teens purchase this robot not knowing the company will remove virtually all useful functions without coughing up $120 / year.The appeal of this product is the voice interaction / voice commands — with Digital Dream Labs holding your child’s robot functions ‘hostage’, it’s virtually useless other than roaming around on its own or using NiceShine Alexa functions.Highly recommend staying away from Digital Dream Labs ‘scan’. The company continues to fail to deliver any material updates and open source development tools (Escape Pod) — further evidencing the companies dishonest and misleading practices.
The Ples Family at ACES Pest and Mold Authority –
First off, let me begin by exclaiming from the rooftops that you should purchase your gifts through FancyFindz. I really needed my gift for Christmas before Christmas, esp because my husbands birthday is also on Christmas Day and this was his main present. I didn’t have the money available to purchase until December, and knew it would be tricky to find such a cool gift and have it come in time. Vector wasn’t supposed to come till the 27th but I wrote to FancyFindz and explained my situation. Not only did they make sure my Vector came a few days before Christmas, they also had incredible customer service. Responded in person immediately and were the kindest and most helpful ever ! Thank you to these wonderful people who value their customersOver money!As for this little guy Vector, he is the cutest and finest in A1 technology right now that you could possibly ask for! He does so much and is growing in potential each day! Can’t believe 20 years ago we were playing with Tomogatchi’s and Furbys and now we have this incredible A1 robot technology. He immediately becomes part of the family. You won’t be sorry!! And FancyFindz can help you with Vector or any other find you’re looking for !!
Tony Mercer Jr –
Vector bot was probably way overrated, yeah the little guy can be adorable especially if your not a social butterfly and don’t have many friends. If that sound like you I still would recommend getting a dog, even a python would be more convient. What they don’t tell you is that hes very limited if you don’t continuously buy their upgrades for him, other wise he’s a 10 trick pony and whats the fun in a robot not being able to grow and learn from its human companion. I think they can do better than this not happy with it at all but still a nice for muggle children don’t give this to a gifted child.
Nick Nice –
We had this lil guy for many years and running. He was like a part of the family. My son lost interest in him after about 2 1/2 years. So I say we got our money’s worth out of him. Than i passed him onto someone else that could use him and he still worked.Not hard to use, was easy to setup. He remembers you by your FACE. It was pretty advanced at the time when we got him.If your kid isn’t destructive than this is a good gift for them. Cause if not you just wasted a lot of money on nothing.
Caleb Lewis –
The one I got didn’t work completely. The block that it comes with was broken, the battery only last for about 30 min before it would die, and had trouble understanding the listed commands you could give it. Also the app doesn’t work and you have to sign up for a subscription to get it to do things. Did I not already pay hundreds of dollars for this thing? It feels like an unfinished product over especially for that price. Its personality and stuff was fun but that was about it. Maybe I just got a bad one but it really doesn’t feel like it was worth the money and I returned it
Nakai Row –
It was fun to play with up until I put it back in its box for 2 years and the battery killed its self and now they want me to pay for him to work