The Kazokutchi robotic "homes" are pretty cool gadgets that do more than just roam around. They actually use NFC (Near Field Communication) to interact and create unique digital tokens known as NFTs (non-fungible tokens). Now, you may have heard of blockchains and NFTs as these complicated tech buzzwords that only computer geeks understand. But these technologies do have real-world uses. Blockchains are like super-secure digital ledgers, and NFTs are like one-of-a-kind collectibles, but in digital form.
So, what's the big deal with Kazokutchi? Well, it's sort of like a real-world version of Conway's Game of Life. While Conway's game is an entirely digital affair that simulates life forms, Kazokutchi brings it into the real world with robots that act like little houses. These robots move around, bump into each other, and when they do, magic happens—or rather, digital magic. Their NFC tech lets them "talk," and when they do, they "have a baby," so to speak. That baby is a brand-new NFT, recorded for posterity on a blockchain. Don't get too excited—Kazokutchi isn't making new robots. Each robot is more like a virtual household filled with digital beings, represented by NFTs. While these digital folks can "pass away," they're immortalized on the blockchain, like a digital hall of fame.
As for the techy stuff, each Kazokutchi robot is pretty simple. It runs on an M5Stack M5StickC development board that has all sorts of bells and whistles like an LCD screen. The robots get around using vibration motors, and some of the newer models even have wheels. Plus, they're all Wi-Fi enabled, thanks to an ESP32 microcontroller, so they can send updates back to a main server.
