Anki improves the Cozmo experience with its 3.0 update

Image: dustin drankoski/mashable

After giving us a glimpse at the house of the future with home robot Vector, Anki is refocusing on Cozmo, its adorable robot companion. 

Nearing 2 years old and still going strong, this toy robot still has quite the magnetic personality and ecosystem to support it. Now, its companion app is getting a facelift that focuses on letting you do what you want, when you want, with Cozmo.

It’s a relatively small update, but should improve the experience in major ways. Anki is now emphasizing what you can actually do with Cozmo over just taking care of him. Previously, there was a chance you might have to feed him or give him a tune-up before you could take control, or more importantly, gain access to Explorer Mode and games.

Now, the “Nurture” option has been moved to the top of the interface and won’t run dry as quickly. It should also increase the length of playtime with Cozmo and let you get to what you want to do with your robo-buddy faster.

By moving this interface to the top, it’s now possible to easily access all the games, tricks, and activities Cozmo has to offer. Most importantly, it’s taken the occasionally annoying requirement of nurturing the little robot out of the equation.

Additionally, a new mode called Cozmo Performs is launching later this year. It will offer an easy and expansive way to control Cozmo’s facial expressions and what he says. To some degree, it’s like the basis for a modern puppet show, since you can take total control and have your robotic companion play out various scene. 

It’s great to see that Anki is continuing to refine the overall experience and introducing new modes. This array of new options could potentially encourage users to try the builder and dive into some light coding as well. 

The updated user interface is rolling out as the Cozmo 3.0 update to all users today. Cozmo Performs will ship in a separate update before the end of the year in December.

For those looking to purchase a robotic companion of their own, Cozmo’s price will remain the same at $179.99, with Anki releasing a limited edition Interstellar Blue version on Nov. 2.