I recently reported on the new robot from iRobot (a.k.a. the hackable Roomba), an affordable platform for doing robot projects at home. Well they just keep rolling out — I just learned of another robot debuted at CES2007, named Spyke (yes, the cool little fella on the picture). Created by Meccano (Erector in US).

Spyke is designed for home use, and while details are rather scarce, the main features are very promising, including:

• Wi-Fi connectivity
• Video Camera
• Speaker & Mic
• VoIP capabilities (compatible with MSN, Skype & GoogleTalk)
• Digital Music Player
• Automatic Recharging (finds its recharging station when thirsty)

Here’s what Übergizmo had to say about potential uses:

Spyke doubles up as a watchdog for your home, enabling you to view what is going around in your absence. [...] Its built-in camera can also send you e-mails of snapshots whenever it detects a motion, and works great as a VoIP phone (compatible with MSN, Skype, Google Talk) when you want to hold a conversation with your loved and closed ones from a different continent.

According to Endgadget, it will also be able to traverse stairs to some extent (unconfirmed for my part). Whether you’re a robot builder (lifehacker), or just want a robot to have around the house — then I definately recommend we keep our eyes on this one. The price is estimated at $270 — which is great, and shows how the prices of “entertainment” robots are falling rapidly.

Unfortunately I have no idea if there will be any official software developers kit available, but I’m sure that we’ll see 3rd party stuff surface with time. Also sucks that they don’t mention if there’s any mobility in the arms — look forward to seeing some videos.

Keep an eye on the official Spyke page (or just check back on inkblot earth).