Nybble Q
A palm-sized robot cat that walks, does tricks and obeys spoken commands, and that you can teach to code. It's a fun learning project, but it's fiddly in places and it isn't a cuddly pet.
The short version
Nybble Q is Petoi's robot cat, the successor to the original wooden Nybble kit. It now comes ready-built in a 3D-printed body, with better motors and the same family of control board as Petoi's Bittle X robot dog. It understands more than 35 spoken commands, has distance-sensing eyes, and you can drive it from a phone app or program it with blocks, Python or C++. You choose cheaper plastic-geared motors or tougher metal ones.
The trade-off is that it's a learning project in a cat costume. It runs for about an hour, and it's hard plastic, not fur. Unlike the older Nybble and Bittle, it isn't sold as a kit, so you don't learn by building it.
Only one finished review so far, from Make:, which also tested the Bittle X alongside it.
Our take: Buy Nybble Q for a child of 10 or over, a classroom or an adult who wants a robot to program and prefers cats to dogs. Choose Petoi's Bittle X instead if you'd rather build the robot yourself or want something tougher. Skip both if you want a soft companion to stroke; Casio's Moflin is built for that.
Where it sits in Petoi’s range
- Petoi NybbleOriginal wooden robot cat kit, now replaced
- Nybble QThis model · $435
- Bittle XRobot dog on the same control board, also sold as a kit · $319
What we know so far
Limited evidence Only one independent, finished hands-on review so far. A score and badge appear once there is a second.
One finished review so far. Make: used a ready-built Nybble Q as its go-to robot to show off to guests, and a quick demo persuaded a teacher friend to buy one for his classroom. It praised the voice recognition and the lessons, but calls Petoi's robots intermediate projects rather than foolproof products, and had to open the cat to fix a tail that wouldn't wag. Learn With A Robot spent a week with an early-access unit before launch and liked its solid build and extra head and tail movement.
Make:, hands-on, Aug 2025 (tested on the Nybble Q (ready-built), tested alongside Bittle X V2) · Learn With A Robot, hands-on, Apr 2025 (Early-access unit, a week before launch; A one-week preview of an early-access unit before launch)
Voice commands work well
Make: had a lot of fun discovering the built-in responses to spoken commands, and found the recognition accurate enough that it seldom reached for the remote. There were some amusing mix-ups: "coffee table" became "be table". Petoi lists more than 35 commands and lets you add up to 10 of your own, per the specifications. Expect to enjoy talking to it, but don't expect a conversation.
A project, not a finished toy
Make: says these aren't foolproof consumer products but intermediate projects, where someone has done the hard development so you can skip to the fun part. Its cat arrived ready-built, yet the tail wouldn't wag until it moved a servo plug. Taking off the back was quick and needed no tools, but it exposed a delicate ribbon cable. Be ready to open it up now and then, or buy it for someone who'd enjoy that.
Steady on its feet, mostly
When a trick went too far, Make: found the cat's balance sensor told it to flip back over. That worked well, though it took a few seconds to find its feet on smooth surfaces. Learn With A Robot found the 3D-printed body solid in the hand. Make: still suggests Petoi's Bittle X if you want something more durable, so keep Nybble Q on the floor or a table and away from rough play.
Room to grow with coding
Make: liked the included coding lessons, and found an active online community covered gaps in the hardware documentation. You program it with blocks, Python or C++, and can add a Raspberry Pi for more computing power, per the specifications. Learn With A Robot describes it as compatible in every way with Petoi's Bittle X dog. It also points out that, unlike older Petoi robots, it isn't sold as a kit to build yourself.
Only one finished review. Make tested a ready-built Nybble Q; Learn With A Robot used an early-access unit before launch, so its impressions don't count towards the two-review minimum.
Prices
Where to buy the Nybble Q in United States
| Retailer | Price | Delivery | Stock | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PetoiCheapest Official store | $435 | — | In stock | Go to Petoi |
Prices read from each seller’s own page on 24 September 2026. Some links are affiliate links and are marked where they appear. Commission never changes the order or the recommendation.
Before you buy
The questions people ask about this one
Is it suitable for young children?
Petoi says it's ideal for ages 10 and up, with younger children joining in under adult guidance, per the specifications. Make: calls Petoi's robots intermediate projects, and it had to open the back to fix a loose servo plug. Younger children will enjoy the tricks and voice commands but will need an adult for fixes and coding.
How long does the battery last?
About an hour of continuous walking, and about 1.5 hours to recharge over USB, according to the specifications. Neither Make: nor Learn With A Robot measured it. Plan on one play or coding session per charge.
Does it need a subscription to keep working?
Petoi doesn't mention one. You control it by voice or through Petoi's app, and code it with free lessons, per the specifications. Make: found the voice commands worked well enough that it seldom reached for its remote.
What does it record, and where does that go?
Petoi lists no camera. The cat senses the world through ultrasonic distance-sensing eyes and listens for voice commands, and you connect to it over Bluetooth, per the specifications. Learn With A Robot notes you can add a Raspberry Pi, and anything you connect that way brings its own privacy questions.
Cat or dog: Nybble Q or Bittle X?
Make: tested both. It found Nybble Q's distance-sensing eyes a neater option for roaming on its own, but suggests Bittle X if you want an extra arm or something more durable. Learn With A Robot adds that Bittle X is also sold as a kit, while Nybble Q only comes ready-built.
Compare with
Bittle X
The robot dog on the same system, sold as a kit or ready-built, with two hands-on reviews.
It's a dog, not a cat, and it lacks Nybble Q's distance-sensing eyes.
Moflin
Another touch-first companion, soft and furry rather than plastic, that doesn't record speech.
It needs recharging on its bed, and it's about cuddles rather than games.
EMO
A small desk character that dances and butts in while you work.
Owners report patchy voice recognition, and it isn't built for coding lessons.
Full specifications
Figures come from the manufacturer’s product page unless a source is named. A blank means nobody we trust has confirmed it.
Owner reviews
Own a Nybble Q?
Tell people how it’s held up: cleaning, maintenance, faults and support. Owner reviews are shown separately from expert tests and never mixed into the score.
Sources
Everything cited on this page. Expert scores are shown as the reviewer gave them.
- Make:: Petoi Programmable Robot Pets: ReviewedHands-on · Tested on the Nybble Q (ready-built), tested alongside Bittle X V2
- Learn With A Robot: Preview of the new Nybble Q from PetoiHands-on · Early-access unit, a week before launch · A one-week preview of an early-access unit before launch (not counted towards our two-review minimum)
- Petoi: Robotic Cat Nybble Q product pageManufacturer
- Petoi: Robot Cat Nybble Q technical specificationsManufacturer