pib Turns 3: From 3D-Printed Prototype to a Moving, Thinking Humanoid Robot

Three years ago, on April 4th, 2022, we introduced pib – a humanoid robot designed for everyone. Our vision was to make robotics accessible, allowing anyone to 3D print and assemble their own intelligent bots. Since then, our journey has been marked by continuous innovation, community collaboration, and educational initiatives.

The Birth of pib

Our mission began with the belief that humanoid robots would significantly impact society, assisting in daily tasks and enriching our lives. Recognizing the barriers of cost and complexity in existing robotic solutions, we embarked on creating pib – an open-source project inviting enthusiasts worldwide to participate in its development.

Early Innovations and Community Engagement

In the initial months, we focused on enhancing pib’s capabilities. One notable project was “Imitate Me,” where we enabled pib to mimic human arm movements using the LeapMotion controller. This feature allowed users to animate pib without intricate programming, showcasing our commitment to intuitive user experiences.

Community feedback has been instrumental in pib’s evolution. Suggestions soon led to significant design improvements, such as relocating motors from the lower arm to the upper body. This adjustment reduced weight on the arms, allowing for stronger motors and a more stable shoulder mechanism. Additionally, we transitioned to using a Raspberry Pi 4 with dual cameras, enhancing pib’s visual processing capabilities. These upgrades culminated in pib’s ability to recognize and track faces, a feature we proudly showcased for the first time at the Maker Faire Hannover in 2022.

In the early stages, we experimented with a quaternion joint for pib’s neck and shoulders to increase mobility and achieve more human-like movement. However, we soon realized that this design was too complex and best suited for advanced robotics enthusiasts. Since our goal has always been to make robotics and AI widely accessible – even to those without prior experience – we ultimately decided to return to a more stable and user-friendly joint design. We kept the 3D print files and building tutorials available for some time for makers and tinkerers but have since moved forward with a more practical approach to ensure ease of use.

A significant design change came in the form of pib’s face. Initially, we featured a more human-like appearance, but after receiving feedback from users who found the design a bit unsettling, we transitioned to a more robot-like face. The new design features a Raspberry Pi display with a touchscreen at the center, which can show animations such as blinking eyes. This display not only enhances pib’s expressiveness but also allows users to interact directly with the robot, giving it commands and engaging with it in a more functional way.

Educational Outreach: pib@school

Understanding the importance of inspiring future generations, we launched the pib@school initiative. Starting with the Hans-Sachs-Gymnasium in Nuremberg, students engaged in building their own pib robot. This program integrated topics like 3D printing, programming, and robotics, providing hands-on experience and fostering interest in STEM fields.

To date, over 50 schools, universities, and educational institutions – primarily in Germany, but also in other European countries – have joined the pib@school initiative, incorporating pib into their classrooms and workshops.

Community Events: Connecting Robotics Enthusiasts

From the very beginning, we wanted pib to be more than just a robot – we wanted to build a collaborative community where people could exchange ideas, learn together, and push the boundaries of what’s possible in robotics.

In May 2022, we launched our first pib.Lab, an event inviting all robotics and AI enthusiasts to join us in working on pib together. The initial kickoff was held in person, but as our community rapidly grew beyond local borders, we transitioned to an online format, streaming the event via our Discord server. This made it possible for our international community to participate. The pib.Lab continues to take place every two months, offering a space where anyone can join to ask questions, share progress, or get started on their very own pib project.

In addition to the pib.Lab, we joined forces with an existing robotics meetup in Nuremberg and helped grow it into what is now the Robotics Meetup Nuremberg, which we co-organize every two months. This event brings together makers and robotics enthusiasts from Nuremberg and Northern Bavaria to exchange ideas, showcase projects, and strengthen the local robotics community. Each event features fantastic speakers presenting their latest robotics work, updates on pib’s development, and, of course, plenty of pizza and drinks! At our most recent meetup, we welcomed 50 attendees – a major milestone and a testament to our ever-growing community.

Recognition and Awards

Our innovative journey has not gone unnoticed. Over the years, pib has received numerous awards for its contribution to education, innovation, and the development of humanoid robotics:

• Civic Innovation Award 2023
• Munich Digital Award 2023
• P-Seminar Award 2024 with the Ernestinum Coburg (Topic: “Artificial Intelligence in Practice – The Humanoid Robot pib”, Lead Subject: Computer Science)
• Jugend Forscht Award 2024 in the category Human-Machine Interaction with Liebfrauenschule Bensheim
• P-Seminar Award 2025 with Hans-Sachs-Gymnasium Nuremberg (Topic: “Projects with Microcontrollers: ‘Citizen Sensing,’ Smart Devices, AI”, Leading Subject: Computer Science)
• German Design Award 2025 in the category “AI in Product Design Processes”: This award was received for the innovative redesign of pib’s body, a transformation led by one of our most active community members, Sebastian Glanzner of Glanzner Dynamics, whose dedication and creativity we are deeply grateful for.

These prizes highlight our commitment to innovation and the positive impact pib is having in both educational and technological spaces.

Recent Milestones and Future Aspirations

Our commitment to continuous improvement led to the announcement of a new pib version in August 2024. This iteration featured a sleeker design with concealed components, stronger shoulder motors, enhanced vertical movement tracking, and upgraded electronics with the Raspberry Pi 5. Notably, we introduced a digital twin, enabling simulations and machine learning applications.

As we celebrate pib’s third birthday today, we’re excited to share our latest development: pib is getting legs! We are actively working on enhancing pib’s mobility by integrating legged locomotion. While this is an ambitious challenge, it represents a major step toward making pib even more dynamic and versatile.

Reflecting on the past three years, we’re grateful for the support and collaboration from our community. Together, we’ve transformed pib from a concept into a platform for innovation, education, and exploration in humanoid robotics. We eagerly anticipate the next chapters in pib’s journey and invite you all to join us in shaping the future.