Misty Robotics Targets Developers With $2,399 Second-Generation Robot
Misty Robotics is taking baby steps toward the consumer market by shipping its Misty II developer platform in April. The $2,399 robot prioritizes sensors and modular skills over personality to build a robust app ecosystem.
Misty Robotics is preparing to ship its second-generation robot, Misty II, this April as part of a long-term strategy to bring a mainstream consumer robot to market. The startup intentionally targets software and hardware developers rather than everyday consumers with this release. Following a successful crowdfunding campaign that raised nearly $1 million, the company hopes this modular robotics platform lays the necessary groundwork for future mainstream success.
The Misty II costs $2,399, a price point influenced in part by current trade tariffs, and focuses entirely on being a capable development platform rather than a personality-driven companion. Instead of relying on animated eyes or charming interactions like some failed consumer robots, Misty II emphasizes on-board sensors and data collection. This approach provides developers with a sophisticated tool to test programs and create a wide variety of practical robotic skills.
The company takes an app store approach to robotics by relying on third-party developers to build out a robust catalog of skills before attempting another consumer launch. This strategy aims to avoid the fate of other failed consumer robots like Jibo and Kuri by ensuring a complete feature set exists ahead of time. While the high cost limits the initial market primarily to educators and makers, Misty bets that this developer-first phase creates the software foundation required for eventual mainstream adoption.