Welcome to the pib FAQ
pib is a 3D-printable, humanoid open-source robot that anyone can build themselves using their own 3D printer. pib is primarily intended as a platform for technology enthusiasts. Anyone who has always wanted their own robot can build a low-cost system with pib.
pib has also been very well received in the education sector: 35 schools in Germany are now using pib in various projects. As part of a school year – whether in a class group or a cross-grade P-seminar – the students assemble the robot step by step. They start the school year with an empty table and end up with their own humanoid robot.
pib has a camera that acts as a central sensor with which it can interact with people. This enables the robot to move its joints. In the fully developed version, pib can control up to 30 motors.
A particular highlight is the ability to recognize and imitate hand movements through the camera. This is not only the most striking feature, but also the most emotional approach to the robot’s capabilities, as it allows it to imitate human gestures.
In addition to the camera, pib has speakers, microphones and a display to show information. The combination of camera and microphone has enabled us to develop an effective voice assistant. You can ask the robot questions and receive natural, spoken answers. You can even define characters for pib and have the robot reply in the according manner.
We are convinced that this form of interaction, where you can ask the robot questions or give it tasks in a human way, will be very important. For example, you could ask pib: “Get me a coffee” or “Where are my keys?” – These are typical requests that the robot will hopefully be able to answer in the future.
pib is a humanoid robot. We try to orient ourselves on the human model; therefore, the upper body is the size of an average human. To be exact, the upper body and head in the current version of pib are 89 cm tall, 56 cm wide and 18 cm deep. The arms are 68 cm long.
The 3D printed parts alone weigh about 5 kg. Add the non-printable parts such as the display, motors, screws, etc. and one complete pib weighs approximately 7.5 kg.
We recommend using PETG. PETG is relatively easily printable. We prefer it to PLA mainly because it can resist higher temperatures and more mechanical stress. Therefore, it will give in a little upon pressure and it takes more to break it. However, if you wish to use PLA that is also possible of course, just make sure to tighten the screws with extra care.
Printing one complete pib requires around 5 kg of filament.
All 3D printed parts are different sizes and therefore take different amounts of time to print, from a few minutes to several hours. This results in a total printing time of just under 180 hours for a complete pib. You can also find detailed information on the printing times of the respective 3D printed parts in our print checklist.
If you have difficulty getting the nuts into the right places, you can use a hammer and carefully hammer them in. If necessary, use a screwdriver to help fix them in the right place. Alternatively, a pipe spanner has also proven to be a useful tool. You can also find more information on this in this video.
The pib.Box School includes 100 hours of printing support. This means that you can order us to print certain parts for you – for example, simply by e-mail. We will then send these parts to you.
Of course, we and the community will support you with your pib.project. In addition, the pib.Box School includes 5 hours of individual support. These hours are intended for more specialised matters, such as an online kick-off session, regular online jour fixes or similar services.
Our experience shows that pib can be used well from 8th grade onwards. However, there are also ways to adapt and use pib for younger students.
The pib.Academy is a collection of teaching and learning materials on pib-relevant topics – a kind of knowledge library for teachers. In addition to the basics of programming, robotics, 3D printing and CAD, specific topics relating to the construction modules are also covered.
For example, the ‘Head’ construction module includes materials on topics such as ‘How does the eye work?’, ‘How does a camera work?’ and ‘3D vision’. Bionic relationships play a central role here. The module also offers information on ‘single-board computers’ and ‘pibs energy supply’, for example.