Summary
- Raspberry Pi-powered “butler” was built in 24 hours at a hackathon.
- It uses Lidar for obstacle avoidance & a person recognition system.
- LabAssist can carry tools, guide users, & interact with its users.
What better lab assistant than a robot? They don’t get tired, they can do dangerous stuff that humans can’t, and they can follow you around without getting bored. If you need someone with you at all times, but you don’t want to subject a real human being to that sort of torture, why not make your own Raspberry Pi robot to do it for you? That’s what one project aims to achieve by combining the SBC with a camera so you can always have a loyal robot by your side.
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This Raspberry Pi-powered personal “butler” was made in 24 hours
This cool device was the idea of Rooman Waheed and Astha Shrestha, who managed to get it all built during the 24-Hour University of Manchester Hackathon 2025. Yes, they got this amazing project going in the space of a day, which is super impressive in my opinion.
It uses a mix of technologies to get around the lab. To dodge obstacles, it utilises Lidar so it doesn’t end up running into tables and chairs. However, it also has a camera linked to a person identification system so it can both see where you are and map out the best way to stay by your side at all times.
Here’s all the stuff it can do:
- Person Recognition: The robot identifies and locks onto a specific individual using computer vision, maintaining a consistent following distance.
- Obstacle Avoidance: Advanced real-time mapping allows LabAssist to navigate around objects and people in the lab environment.
- Tool Transportation: A specialized tray mounted on the robot can securely carry tools and materials, freeing up the user’s hands.
- Interactive Interface: A user-friendly display provides information, responds to queries, and can be used to book resources or request assistance.
- Workplace Training: LabAssist can guide new users through safety protocols, equipment usage, and lab procedures.
Honestly, with a little more time (at least, more than 24 hours), I can imagine this being a really excellent project. Maybe some XDA readers can pick up where these fine folk left off and make something just as amazing? If you fancy giving it a try yourself, head over to the project’s Instructable page to check out everything it used.
