To find out how we could find more Shellmo friends, we have to think about why we joint this group. From this we can analyze what the unique features of this project are. Next we can use this to advertise Shellmo with success.
I like this project because of the nice friendly Shellmo shell and because of the centipede gear. I was always attracted by this automates with a relation to living creatures and a live like behavior. Of course I also have a Pleo at home.
I also was fascinated by the possibility to control shellmo via BT and the Android phone because something like this was in my mind for some month already.
Next are the eyes because eyes are fascinating and creepy.
With my RA04 RepWalker and the eyes I created easy to print modules but we still don't have an attractive shell to make the people love Shellmo.
One thing why people maybe love Shellmo but will not join us is the complexity of Shellmo. You need a 3D printer (or lots of money for shapeways) Assembling skills, programming skills on Arduino. Hardware wiring skills. Android skills. Sourcing skills...
I love complex projects and have a little background of all this stuff - so that's why it is a challenge for me!
Yesterday I went to the Hannover Arduino group. 6 guys in the age of 30 - 55 which are interested in electronics and programming. They told me RA04 is cute with it's eyes. We had some discussions about sensors to make him feel and find the right way - but that was it.
There are hundreds of robot platforms outside. If you have build it - what to do with it? We have to find reasons why to build it and what for you can use it afterwards.
I just stumbled over the pinoccio product:
https://pinocc.io/ here the friendly Pinoccio in the logo attracts me. Next is the idea of independent low power consuming "things" which can live and interact wireless. Great Idea - great promo in the MAKE magazin - but now you can pre order a Starter kit with two units for 197$ ... I would love to "litter" a lot of this creatures around my house to get some info - but not for this price.
Hardware sourcing is the next thing if you want to make it popular. Sho has made some invest in gear motors and BT modules but don't know if he ever will sell this even if he give this away without surcharge (because he is an idealist...) On other hand people expect from you to get complete sets of all parts (like for my digital calipers) but don't want to pay a surcharge for packing and fixed capital plus the risk never to sell it - like me with the Pinoccio...
All this are no solutions but brain food for you...
You always can learn from the winners - what is the plan, the system, the structure which makes the success?
Arduino and RasberryPi are great projects because they are "enabler" for your ideas. Wide used and not build for one purpose.
Pleo was/is a cute toy with hard and software engineering highlights plus the life like habbit based on psychological studies.
http://www.pleoworld.com/pleo_rb/eng/index.php Today you get a Pleo for 130 € - lots of electronics and hardware for little money!
Furby also want to be your toy friend. But with less mechanical and software complexity then Pleo.
http://www.hasbro.com/furby/en_US/ Furby also has apps for your phone or tablet:
http://www.hasbro.com/furby/en_US/discover/app.cfm
Other is Aibo
![[Image: 4_0_support_breakdown.asp]](http://services.sony.co.uk/support/aibo/4_0_support_breakdown.asp)
for instance.
Should Shellmo be something like that - what is different? ...