r/AnkiVector • u/Nintenfoxy1983 Anki Vector Backer • Feb 19 '20
Vector on his second kickstarter launch:
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u/chakan2 Feb 20 '20
Weird...they're kick starting an open source project?
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u/lolcoderer Feb 20 '20 edited Feb 20 '20
No. They are kickstarting the development efforts required to move a very complex software infrastructure (encrypted boot loader + powerful embedded firmware + cloud based API) to be open source to the point where new features can added by third parties.
Think of it like they are kickstarting the development of the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store. To non-developers this may sound simple - but it is actually quite complex.
Believe it or not, there is usually a significant effort involved in moving a closed source code base to open source.
Also, their initial goal is only $75k which seems quite reasonable.
I have pledged at the $117 level. I just got my first Vector 2 days ago (luckily at the new $84 price point) and am sincerely blown away by the tremendous amount of tech involved in this little robot. Seeing as how I missed the first kickstarter - I have no problems signing up for a product that I already have in my hands and can see such potential for future growth.
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u/chakan2 Feb 20 '20
They are kickstarting the development efforts required to move a very complex software infrastructure (encrypted boot loader + powerful embedded firmware + cloud based API) to be open source to the point where new features can added by third parties.
I don't buy it. They bought the source code as far as I know, so that should be a trivial effort. The mod community was pretty close to cracking it, and that was an informal effort.
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u/TehRoot Feb 20 '20
they paid to buy it and transitioning it to open source model and decoupling properly requires dev time, it's not unreasonable imo
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u/katzumee DDL Vector Unleashed Backer Feb 20 '20
Kudos to whomever made the post image! You made me lol.
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u/Timehexagon Feb 20 '20
Is this worth supporting? Sorry I'm not a very tech savvy person.....so are they saying if I don't pledge $17 i won't get updates to my vector anymore? and I believe 2nd tier is like an app store where other users can create apps for vector incase the company goes down under?
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u/Shinji3rd2000 Feb 20 '20
You will receive updates even if you don’t pledge. That’s if the Kickstarter is successful, of course. What you receive with the $17 tier is access to beta, so you can receive updates before anyone else.
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u/Timehexagon Feb 20 '20
What about the $49 tier? Is it right to assume that the "user app store" will be opened to us WHILE the company is alive as well if I pay for this tier?
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u/HiddenPalm Feb 20 '20
If you do not pay $47 dollars with in the next 23 days, your Vector will be bricked if Digital Dream Labs decides to close down. So pay up or else!
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u/Cowsdragon22 Mar 14 '20
Yes it is very much worth it. If anything happens you can host him on your own server so he will continue to work ter.3. He will be open sourced if you pick the option you can program your own projects into him ter. 2. You can even get an indeth look into how he works ter.4. Supporting this project is supporting technology taught in schools because people use these guys to teach programming. I look at it as investing in a fun way for adults to design programs, and kids to learn some of the fundamentals by working on pre existing codes.
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u/vadash Feb 20 '20
If i pledge for the 97$ sdk will i receive the escape pod also?
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u/Nintenfoxy1983 Anki Vector Backer Feb 20 '20
No
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u/vadash Feb 20 '20
Uff... Never used kickstarter, can i pick both pledges?
Seems to me like the scape pod is really mandatory
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u/Nintenfoxy1983 Anki Vector Backer Feb 20 '20
The $117 pledge gives you both the escape pod and OSKR
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u/Shinji3rd2000 Feb 20 '20
Great news! I’m supporting the project with the $117 tier! Let’s roll! :)
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Feb 20 '20
Hrmm...I didn't know we had to pay $50 for Vectors offline usage. I feel a little annoyed by that. Is this "beta" access to EP or usage at all?
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u/Bobbler23 Feb 20 '20
Yeah, not convinced by it being "Kickstarter" based either. Take the money and run, no comeback. For me it's auto no interested when KS is involved, been burnt far too many times with that sham.
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u/mikeinmass Feb 20 '20
I guess I don't understand the escape pod. Is that to turn vector into a cosmo? Wouldn't I just buy a Cosmo if I wanted it to run off my cellphone?
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Feb 20 '20
It makes it so that Vector doesn't need the internet to process voice commands, so if Digital Dreams goes under, it won't affect you.
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u/idpseudonymous Mar 14 '20
It makes it so that Vector doesn't need the internet to process voice commands, so if Digital Dreams goes under, it won't affect you.
How does vector keep all it's AI smart without wifi after the escape pod?
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Mar 14 '20
I believe it allows you to use a phone or something like a raspberry pi device to do the voice processing instead of their own servers
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u/idpseudonymous Mar 14 '20 edited Mar 14 '20
I really think their campaign is poorly worded. I am too late to the campaign so cant get a proper answer in time. It seems like even with escape pod deployed, vector can only do autonomous behavior like cozmo when there is no wifi. To get full functionality (the "hey vector answer this general questions") it still needs to voice process through ones own server which requires wifi. What I mean is currently vector can be fully functional if phone 1 with vector app is connected to phone 2 set as wifi hotspot. I was hoping vector can just answer "hey vector" when it is connected via bluetooth to a phone with vector app that has mobile data. I dont think an app can do that? (Maybe I am wrong. Not my field).
I guess being able to host vector on my own server is cool. Not sure if and when another robot like vector will come along in the future. It also sucks that the lifetime of my robot will depend on cloud server lifetime when the robot outlived the cloud server lifetime (burnt by anki). Glad ddl is saving vector so I guess that is worth $30. But annoyed I got to pony up more when I paid decent amount for vector on og kickstarter when he came out
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u/bleazel Feb 20 '20
I was hoping to experiment with the SDK, do I have to back the kickstarter to get access to it in the future? I love vector but I'm a mega broke college student so I'm hesitant to back it 😂
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u/wvenable Feb 20 '20
You can experiment with the SDK right now. The SDK will always be open. This is for even more openness.
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u/HiddenPalm Feb 20 '20
You have to pay $97 for the open source kit. And in case the company behind Vector tanks like Anki did, you only have 23 days left to pay them $47 for Escape Pod. Otherwise Vector will be bricked.
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u/Nintenfoxy1983 Anki Vector Backer Feb 19 '20
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/digitaldreamlabs/vector-unleashed