Blue Frog Robotics, the Paris, France-headquartered technology company, has selected the SC66 IoT module from Quectel Wireless Solutions for its new Buddy PRO robot. Blue Frog Robotics creates Robots for Good that embody emotional artificial intelligence (AI) to drive important positive impacts on social issues such as ageing populations, inclusion of vulnerable people and education.

Buddy, the world’s first emotional companion robot, has already captured the affection of thousands of people around the world. With his unique charm, the adorable companion improves users’ lives by creating social links, supporting childhood learning and watching over and taking care of elderly people.

Recently, Blue Frog has been awarded a French Government contract by the National Ministry of Education to fight against isolation of homebound or hospitalized children that are unable to physically attend schools. They can now connect to their classroom by using the Buddy Telepresence Avatar robot and 1750 schools will be using the service, enabling preservation of an essential link to learning.  

Buddy is built on a modular, open platform based on Android, which means the global community of Buddy hardware and software developers can easily enlarge the portfolio of applications available. These can be specifically targeted to professionals in education, elderly care and healthcare, as well as in other markets that are realizing the benefits of companion robots such as hospitality.  

The Quectel SC66 is a new-generation multi-mode LTE Cat 6 smart module measuring 43.0mm × 44.0mm × 2.85mm with built-in Android OS. This high-performance module series supports various multimedia functions, making it ideal for both industrial and consumer applications which require high data rates. Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology allows the SC66 to greatly minimize errors and optimize data speeds. The module also combines high-speed wireless connectivity with embedded multi-constellation and a high-sensitivity GNSS receiver for positioning. A wide range of supported interfaces including multiple screens and cameras allow the SC66 to support IoT applications including AI robots, smart POS, home gateways, wearables, PDAs and tablets, vending machines, delivery lockers, law enforcement equipment and in-car entertainment systems.

“We want everyone to adopt Buddy to connect, assist, entertain, educate and make everyone smile,” said Rodolphe Hasselvander, Founder of Blue Frog Robotics. “The LTE Cat 6 smart module from Quectel enables Buddy to connect and communicate and bring rich experiences to users. It has been a pleasure to work with Quectel to integrate the module into our robots.”

“We’re delighted that Quectel SC66 smart modules have been chosen by Blue Frog and are enabling the Buddy robots to improve the quality of life for users young and old,” said Philippe Lanney, Regional Sales Manager at Quectel Wireless Solutions. “For robots, optimized data speeds plus location positioning capability and Android operating systems are vital capabilities and, with this deployment, we’re proud to be empowering AI robots to build a smarter world.”