Besides being a hot topic, AI is seemingly the convention these days. And while we are now used to ChatGPT and even Siri and Alexa, a new startup called Rabit is here with something new entirely. The Rabbit R1 is a unique portable AI assistant that looks and functions like a walkie-talkie but does so much more. and the device itself
Launched at CES 2024, the Rabbit R1 is a bespoke, appealing orange device. It features a camera, control wheel, 2.88-inch touchscreen, speaker, microphones, and a floating rabbit head that acts as the interface. The device was co-designed with Teenage Engineering.
The software it works on is known as Rabbit OS, and it can listen to you through the “natural language interface” and far-field microphone technology. Rabbit claims the OS is far better than the likes of normal LLMs, and it has the ability to hear and respond within ‘500 ms’ of a query.
Rabbit R1: Features
In a controlled demo shown by Rabbit for its new R1 AI assistant, the device showed off a lot of its features. The R1 can perform various actions like booking an Uber cab, looking at the leftovers from your fridge, getting suggestions, and even answering random trivial questions.
The startup Rabbit aims to ‘create the simplest computer.’ This new device acts like a minimal companion that assists you in day-to-day activities without being the revolutionary, distracting rectangle that most smartphones want to be today. For connectivity, the device features a USB-C port and SIM card slot.
As mentioned above, the most interesting thing about Rabbit R1 is the Large Action Model (LAM). This artificial intelligence is trained to navigate through the user interfaces (UI) we already have on various apps. It can navigate through that UI and can be trained for various tasks. The founder has shown how it can even navigate Discord, go to Midjourney’s server, and create an image using it.
Moreover, by using the 360° camera, it was shown the various actions the R1 can perform by looking at your surroundings. The camera design is intuitive and goes back into its shell when unused for better privacy. The Rabbit R1 is said to have an “all-day” battery, but we have no idea what that means.
Rabbit R1 AI Assistant: Price & Availability
Speaking of Rabbit R1 price, the new AI assistant costs $199. Thankfully, there are no subscription prices attached. This new AI assistant is available for pre-order now at the official website.
Humane’s AI pin is also a similar, screen-less alternative to a smartphone, which has a different design and projects a screen onto your hand. But, the Humane AI pin costs $699, which is more than triple the price of Rabbit’s new AI assistant launched at CES 2024.
What are your thoughts on the Rabbit R1? At its attractive price point, it is definitely an intriguing AI assistant. Would you replace your smartphone with Rabbit R1? Let us know in the comments below.
