Don't Throw Away Your Old Phone — Build a Robot Instead

Researchers at UCLA have developed PhoneBot, an open-source humanoid robot that utilizes an old Android smartphone as its brain. Instead of relying on expensive electronics typically needed for robotics, PhoneBot leverages the powerful capabilities of smartphones, including processors, cameras, and motion sensors. Standing about 19 inches tall and weighing four pounds, it can walk on two legs, track objects with its camera, and right itself after a fall, all while costing around $400 to build, excluding the smartphone.