Xiaomi opened-source a $150 AI gadget, so popular that the accessories have been increased in price

Yunzhong, from Aofe Temple

Quantum Bit | Public Account QbitAI

A small screen, three buttons, a joystick. The puppy from West Highland Wolves on the screen is sometimes busy, sometimes worried, and sometimes celebrating.

This is an open-source AI hardware product recently launched by Xiaomi HachimoDock (Hachimo Dock), with a self-made hardware cost of approximately 150 yuan.

At first glance, this highly popular product looks like a mini game console equipped with electronic pets.

But this little dog can do much more than just keep you occupied; in fact, it is a versatile desk accessory that integrates personalized desk pets, voice-controlled computer agents, smart home integration, and custom component creation among other powerful features.

Very low DIY costs, a refined appearance, broad compatibility with various Agent tools, and a rich variety of ways to experiment freely according to personal preference, have quickly attracted users from different circles once it was released. A large number of imitation guides and tutorials have also emerged in social media and open-source communities.

Someone, because of it, tried to create their own AI hardware for the first time. Due to this trend, the development boards and screens used in it are still facing price increases and shortages today.

Starting from interaction with the Agent, create a versatile table setup that offers both emotional value and practical value.

HachimoDock comes from an innovative product team within Xiaomi. Their initial focus was on how people can interact more efficiently with various AI Agents, such as Codex and WorkBuddy.

Along this path, the most obvious direction is to develop a voice input hardware device that combines a microphone and buttons, to meet a real need—voice input.

In office scenarios, voice is often several times more efficient than typing.

But simple voice input tools are somewhat lacking in creativity, and many similar products have already appeared on the market, such as ChatGPT’s official Codex Micro, and even Xiaomi’s Bluetooth remote control has come alive during the Spring Festival.

For the team, what they hope to explore is: whether AI hardware can provide more space for imagination and creation beyond its simple tool nature, so that everyone can truly enjoy it and feel “cool and novel”.

So they began to think more broadly about Vibe Coding/Working scenarios:

• Is voice input through buttons really the simplest interaction?
• In addition to optimizing input interaction, are there any new approaches in the creative dimension?
• Is the product only used for Coding/Working, or are there broader applications?

As the understanding of these issues deepens, the shape of HachimoDock becomes clearer and clearer.

Is voice input through buttons already the simplest interaction?

It’s not the case. A simpler and more natural interaction is real-time voice interaction where “just speak, no physical actions” are needed. HachimoDock should be a companion that can interact with users in real time, rather than just a voice input tool.

If you have any ideas, you can communicate them at any time in a chat format. After it is assigned to the Agent for execution, the results will be quickly fed back to the user.

The user is the “requirement proposer”, not the “voice inputner”, and this is the source of HachimoDock “dashi” positioning.

The product definition of “Dazi” requires HachimoDock to have its own appearance, persona, and voice. It is both an assistant and a supervisor, able to command various Agents to search for information, organize documents, and write code. It also synchronizes on the screen the task statuses such as thinking, execution, and waiting for confirmation, and uses the expressions, actions, and voices of desk pets to remind of progress.

Say to it, “Help me sort and organize the files on the computer desktop, and change to a nice wallpaper,” and the Agent on the computer will take over and execute the task. The little dog on HachimoDock will also change its actions as the task progresses, along with text and sound notifications.

The “custom appearance capability (hardware appearance + pet image)” derived from “Datshi”, is also a major reason why HachimoDock has achieved widespread popularity.

For a small companion who needs to stay on the desktop all the time, people naturally have some complaints: Why must it be the West Highland White Terrier, and not their own cat or their boyfriend/girlfriend?

HachimoDock leaves this choice to the user. In addition to the built-in puppy, pet photos, couple photos, cartoon characters, etc., can all be used as materials for creating companion apps. Users can also select a favorite one-touch app from tens of thousands of images created by community members.

Plus, with the freely printable key caps and cases, the colors of the characters on the screen and the body can be matched together, further enhancing the visual effect of the desktop decor.

When HachimoDock transforms from a “tool” into a character that users are familiar with and enjoy, along with a refined appearance, it feels like simply having it on the desktop to assist you with work or occasionally chatting via voice already provides good emotional value. As a result, it gains the love of many young users outside the geek community.

What are the new approaches in Vibe Coding’s creative methods?

Optimizing input interaction improves the communication efficiency during Vibe Coding.

And the greater value of Vibe Coding lies in bringing to life the beautiful things that everyone imagines, allowing creativity to become works that can be used and experienced.

Currently, Vibe Coding has demonstrated rich possibilities in computer software and mobile app development, while its exploration in hardware scenarios has just begun.

The number of embedded devices around people is far greater than that of computers and smartphones. If these devices could also be freely customized through Vibe Coding, what kind of changes would that bring?

Ten thousand people have ten thousand different ideas and ways to use things. The thought of smart home devices at home and wearable devices on the body all being personalized and customized by oneself fills people with anticipation.

HachimoDock carries such expectations. It has added the “Minute-level Personalized Component Creation” feature, aiming to become the first AI hardware device for everyone to get started with Vibe Coding. The team hopes that everyone can begin using this small device and experience the fun of hardware Vibe Coding at a low cost.

The design of the retro mini-game console is specifically created to provide more possibilities for creation. The combination of four interaction methods—buttons, joystick, voice, and touch screen—enables the perfect implementation of almost all types of games and tools.

Users can use natural language to transform ideas into components that can be run directly on HachimoDock: stock market data for viewing prices and price changes, to-do lists, computer status, and token usage dashboards to display work information, while calendars, tomato clocks, weather, and water drinking reminders help with daily arrangements. During breaks, you can also listen to programs from different cities through radio components or play daily news.

Games and fun tools can also be used for creating content. Users can experience gameplay such as Snake, mazes, ball catching, and fruit cutting, or try components like electronic pets, wheelers, lottery draws, coin tossing, tarot cards, and wooden fish clapping, and customize them according to their own ideas.

At the same time, there are also works created by open-source enthusiasts in the community that can be experienced and shared, and components completed by users can be shared so that others can use and improve them.

Is it only used for Coding/Working? Are there broader scenarios?

Programming and office work are just a part of life. Another important area is “family”. In this regard, Xiaomi’s another open-source project, xiaomi Miloco, provides strong support for Hachimodock.

Through Xiaomi Miloco, HachimoDock can become a personalized smart home assistant, coordinating and controlling smart devices in the home.

In front of the same desk, whether to instruct the computer to handle work or to make the home devices respond to needs, you can talk to this little dog.

Let more people experience the powerful capabilities of AI and the joy of open-source creation

Looking back, the success of HachimoDock lies not only in its high aesthetic appeal and low cost, but also in the team’s deep insights into various usage scenarios. Its various capabilities correspond to different application contexts.

To improve work efficiency, you can use it to assign tasks and check the progress of the Agent; if you like a desktop setup and character companionship, you can change the desk pets, match the shell and keycaps; if you are interested in hardware and programming, you can start by creating components and gradually try more in-depth modifications.

Having it means having unlimited possibilities:

• A microphone for quick voice input
• A mini game console that supports tens of thousands of games
• A small radio that can listen to a variety of FM stations
• A desktop secondary monitor to view AI task progress and computer status
• A desktop control center for a connected smart home...

Currently, HachimoDock has made its software source code available on GitHub, and provides a hardware bill of materials, structural component models, and assembly tutorials on the Jialichuang platform. Interested users can use the reference materials to replicate it, and then modify it according to their own ideas.

The puppy in the screen is the starting point of the story. What it will become next, and what new skills it will learn, are left to each person who wants to get involved and continue writing.

Xiaomi Technology Committee Innovation Product Team said:

“We want to reserve the space for defining HachimoDock for each user, so that more people can participate in the joy of AI hardware creation at a lower cost.”

At the same time, HachimoDock is merely the beginning for Xiaomi and its team to explore innovative and cool AI hardware. Soon, more imaginative new products will be introduced.

Let passion flow, let creativity continue – that is the most touching value of open source.”

GitHub address: https://github.com/YizhengWw/HachimoDock

*This article is published with the permission of Qiskit. The views belong solely to the original author.*