Dash Robotics, Inc
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Dash Robotics, Inc. is a toy robotics startup company located in Hayward, California. Their main focus is on prototyping and manufacturing smart toys (sometimes called "connected toys"). The company is often referred to simply as "Dash," and was founded in 2013. Often mistakenly affiliated with UC Berkeley, they are not a part of the university although many of the company's members met there.
Products
They are most widely known for creating Kamigami Robots, a biomimetic, foldable robot that was funded via Kickstarter in 2015.{{Cite news|url=http://citris-uc.org/dash-robotics-launches-kamigami-robots-on-kickstarter/|title=Dash Robotics Launches Kamigami Robots on Kickstarter - CITRIS and the Banatao Institute|date=2015-10-20|work=CITRIS and the Banatao Institute|access-date=2017-04-18|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/kamigami-the-affordable-origami-robot-that-anyone-can-build/|title=Kamigami: The affordable origami robot that anyone can build|work=CNET|access-date=2017-04-22|language=en}} Kamigami received attention for their unique biomimetic motion, which mimics that of a cockroach.{{Cite news|url=http://cra.org/robotics-highlight-kamigami-cockroach-inspired-robotics/|title=Robotics Highlight: Kamigami Cockroach Inspired Robotics|date=2016-07-18|work=CRA|access-date=2017-04-18|language=en-US}} The platform allows kids build their own robotic bugs.{{Cite web |last=Heater |first=Brian |date=2017-10-11 |title=Mattel releases biologically inspired foldable robot bugs |url=https://techcrunch.com/2017/10/11/mattel-releases-biologically-inspired-foldable-robot-toys/ |access-date=2022-05-19 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}} The original concepts behind the robot's motion are attributed to Dr. Robert Full, a biologist at UC Berkeley, and can be seen outlined in his Ted Talk.{{Citation|last=Full|first=Robert|title=The secrets of nature's grossest creatures, channeled into robots|date=5 June 2014 |url=https://www.ted.com/talks/robert_full_the_secrets_of_nature_s_grossest_creatures_channeled_into_robots#t-292438|language=en|accessdate=2017-04-22}} Mattel licensed the Kamigami brand in spring of 2017,{{Cite news|url=https://www.cnet.com/pictures/hasbro-mattel-toy-fair-2017/3/|title=We played with the coolest Hasbro and Mattel toys you can't buy yet - Page 3|work=CNET|access-date=2017-04-18|language=en}} and oversaw the national release in fall of 2017 as part of their new emphasis on STEM and "digital age" toys.{{Cite news|url=https://www.pcmag.com/news/359341/mattels-new-cto-wants-all-kids-to-be-inspired-by-tech-toys|title=Mattel's New CTO Wants All Kids to Be Inspired by Tech Toys}}
Previous products include Dash Beta and Dash VR. Dash Beta was a cardboard, app-controlled robot that required glue to be assembled, and acted as a predecessor to Kamigami. Dash Beta is no longer in production.{{Importance inline|date=March 2023}}