The Mugbot Community — A Short History and How to Join

 

The Mugbot Community — A Short History and How to Join

Mugbot is a low-cost, open, non-proprietary social robot—typically built into a mug-shaped shell—that talks (OpenJTalk) and animates eyes/mouth/neck. Since the early 2010s it has grown a lab-centric, education-first community around Tokyo City University’s Koike Lab, with steady activity in exhibitions, classes, and DIY builds. mugbot.com+1

Origins and Vision

Mugbot was conceived as a social robot meant to “work” alongside people in real communities—not to replace them, but to connect them. That ethos still anchors the project’s workshops and deployments. mugbot.com

Milestones & Public Showings

  • 2013: First major public demos in Japan, including Maker Faire Tokyo 2013 and a university festival showcase. mugbot.com

  • 2015: Featured at Maker Faire Bay Area; the project description emphasized easy sourcing (¥100-shop parts), Raspberry Pi + Arduino control, and browser-based operation. Maker Faire

  • 2016: Published the official 400-page guidebook “Mugbot — Raspberry Pi & Arduino” (RickTelecom), which catalyzed adoption in schools and clubs. ric.co.jpmugbot.com

  • 2016–2018: Recurring Maker Faire Tokyo exhibits; coverage and follow-ups (incl. a Robocon Magazine piece). mugbot.com+2mugbot.com+2

  • 2018→: The lab standardized Node-RED flows for Mugbot, simplifying teaching and multi-unit control; the approach was documented on the project site and Qiita. mugbot.comQiita

  • Community deployments: The “Mugbot Makers” page highlights real-world use (e.g., a front-desk greeter at the Atsugi Children’s Science Museum), illustrating the “work alongside people” concept. mugbot.com

What the Community Looks Like Today

Rather than a giant hobbyist forum, Mugbot’s community lives where it’s used: university labs, classrooms, workshops, and small public installations. The official site continues to publish build guides (JP/EN), parts lists, and contact information—making it easy for new contributors to spin up projects for classes or local events. mugbot.com+2mugbot.com+2

Open Resources (Start Here)

  • Official site (JP/EN) — build guides, history, downloads. mugbot.com+1

  • GitHub — “Mugbot-System” (web UI, WebSocket server, Arduino sketch, talk script). GitHub

  • Scratch controller — Mugbot Action Designer (MAD) (overview + releases). mugbot.comGitHub

  • Node-RED migration (Lab write-up + tutorial article). mugbot.comQiita

  • The book (RickTelecom, 2016) — comprehensive reference for classes and clubs. ric.co.jp

How to Get Involved (Quick Path)

  1. Read the concept & history to understand the social-robotics angle and exhibition lineage. mugbot.com+1

  2. Pick a control path:

    • MAD (Scratch 1.4-based) for visual, kid-friendly lessons. mugbot.com

    • Node-RED for modern, low-code flows (single-Pi builds, multi-Mugbot control). Qiita

  3. Build from the official guides (JP/EN) and clone the GitHub repo for the web UI + Arduino sketch; follow the site’s download/setup notes. mugbot.comGitHub

  4. Adapt for your venue: look at Mugbot Makers for examples (museum reception, etc.), then prototype your own role. mugbot.com

  5. Say hello: if you’d like mentorship, contact Koike Lab (the project’s long-time hub). mugbot.com

Why Educators Use It

  • Approachable materials & cost (100-yen shop parts; Pi-first flows), while still covering browser control, speech synthesis, and simple HRI behaviors. Maker Faireric.co.jp

  • Scales with learners: start with drag-and-drop (MAD), then graduate to Node-RED and lightweight code. GitHubQiita

Citations / Further Reading

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