Can I buy one today?
Not yet — the product is in active prototype. Join updates and we’ll tell you when orders open.
FAQ / Support
Straight answers while the product is in prototype.
What compute does it use?
Raspberry Pi 5 with 16GB RAM is the quality floor. Every shipping model uses 16GB.
What is the quality ladder?
BRAIN → PRO → MAX → OMNI. BRAIN, MAX, and OMNI include Hailo-8L vision on a dual M.2 board so they can watch and talk at once, with fast internal NVMe for models and video. PRO is the specialized AI HAT+ 2 GenAI path (USB storage). Face cameras and far-field voice are in every unit.
What are the side docks on higher models?
Optional slide-and-clip camera and vision docks — extra lookouts or NoIR night pods. Unused bays get blank plates. Motion3D / Camarray is a separate CSI stereo HAT, not just another dock plate.
What is Motion3D, and how much is the add-on?
Motion3D is the hardware-synced stereo path (Arducam Camarray, AR0234-class). Every unit already has two Camera Module 3 eyes for stills and quiet scenes. Motion3D is included on OMNI and is a kit for BRAIN/MAX. Research parts are about $260 (Arducam B0492R list $259.99 as of 2026-08). That is a parts number, not a retail kit price — checkout prices stay off until E2.5.
Does Motion3D plug into the dual-slot top hat?
No. The dual M.2 slots on the volume top hat (Geekworm X1004) are for Hailo-8L and NVMe. Camarray is a separate CSI stereo HAT: GPIO plus one camera port. It does not take an M.2 slot. The enclosure problem is stack height and GPIO sharing, not a second accelerator slot. PRO’s AI HAT+ 2 owns PCIe the same way — Camarray still uses CSI, not that hat’s slot.
How long does the battery last?
We publish verified numbers after the hardware battery bench. Until then we do not claim runtime hours.
Does it need the cloud?
Local models are the default. Frontier assistance is opt-in through Scooling. Provider keys never sit on the Pi.
Can I print my own shell?
Yes — the brain shell is designed for translucent PETG printing. Bare shell and BYOD software paths are part of the product plan.
Are cube and sphere shells available?
They share the same core interface. The brain shell ships first; geometric and limited forms follow as samples mature.
Can I change the face later?
Eye placement, brows, mouths, and mustaches are meant to be configurable — so a unit can keep evolving with you.
Is face recognition a security feature?
No. Camera and face matching default off; enrollment is explicit; we do not market face recognition as security.
Where does my data live?
Canonical notes live in Knowtation. Identity and parental gates live in Scooling. theBRAIN holds device-side runtime and peripherals — not your provider keys.
Is it only for Scooling and learning?
No. Learning and personal notes are flagship uses, but the hardware is a general-purpose Pi computer. Other software can be installed on the device. If you want the brain to control another app, that is designed as an allowlisted skill (API or MCP) you enable in Scooling — not open remote root on the machine.
Can theBRAIN app control other programs I install?
Only programs you explicitly allow. Planned path: the other software exposes a narrow API or MCP tool list; you grant it under Scooling Devices → theBRAIN → Tools / Permissions; the app Skills tab can then call only those tools. Arbitrary shell or SSH from the phone app is not part of the retail design.
Where can I see the full list of app controls?
The control app surfaces are Chat, Lights, Sensors, Model, Safety, People, and Skills. A dedicated /app feature tour on this site is live (roadmap W7 / E7-site) with honest status labels for hardware and Scooling-dependent pieces. The living feature list also lives in product docs as APP-FEATURES.
Is it waterproof?
No waterproofing claim is made until physically verified. Treat it as an indoor / sheltered desktop companion unless a future enclosure is validated.
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