Botiful is the Android telepresence robot that's tearing up Kickstarter

We'd never let a small detail like being halfway across the world stop us expressing ourselves through dance. Or nodding. Or spinning around. And our latest favourite Kickstarter project, Botiful, is here to help us do just that. It's an interactive, app-filled telepresence robot created by designer Claire Delaunay to help you feel like you're in the other room on Skype calls.

When your friend, or colleague, has set up the Botiful, they can just dock their Android phone (iPhone support coming when Delaunay hits US$100k) and load up a Skype video chat. Back at the ranch, you then get arrows and other controls within Skype to direct the Botiful around the table or in between kid's toys if you're entertaining tiny relatives.

Delaunay's already raised US$44,000 – that's half her target – and backers can choose a range of colour combinatons from white, blue and red plus access to the Botiful SDK for a touch more cash. The going rate for a white Botiful is US$199, saving you a third off the eventual retail price, and you've got until August 22nd to back the project.

Botiful from MYIIXI on Vimeo.

[via designboom]

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