Social humanoid robot for kids under $10,000

Can we really build a $10,000 humanoid robot on open-source AI?

In this episode of TechFirst, John Koetsier talks with Chris Kudla, CEO of Mind Children, about a radically different approach to humanoid robots. Instead of six-figure industrial machines built for factories or war zones, Mind Children is building small, safe, friendly social robots designed for kids, classrooms, and elder care.

Meet Cody (MC-1), their first humanoid prototype.

Cody is built on open-source AI from SingularityNET, combined with modular hardware, low-torque actuators, and a wheeled base designed for safety, affordability, and mass production. And there's some other AI bits and pieces from all the big name companies that you'd recognize.

Mind Children's goal is ambitious: a $10,000 humanoid robot that families, schools, and care facilities can actually afford.

In this conversation we explore:
• Why social robots may be the real gateway to embodied AI
• How Cody is designed for children and elder care instead of factories
• Why wheels beat bipedal legs for safety, cost, and stability
• How open-source AI and modular software stacks enable faster innovation
• The emotional and ethical challenges of building companion robots
• And what it takes to bring a humanoid robot to market at scale

This is not sci-fi. This is the early blueprint of a future where humanoid robots are personal, affordable, and open-source.

00:00 – The $10,000 open-source humanoid question
01:58 – Meet Cody, the MC-1 prototype
04:10 – Why Cody is small, child-sized, and approachable
06:55 – Designing humanoids for kids and elder care
09:45 – Social robots vs industrial humanoids
12:40 – Wheels instead of legs and why that matters
16:05 – Low-torque actuators, safety, and toy-like design
19:20 – Modular hands, arms, and future upgrades
22:10 – Open-source AI and SingularityNET’s role
25:30 – On-robot vs cloud AI and why it matters
28:40 – Vision, LiDAR, and simulated world models
32:10 – Emotional awareness and social intelligence
35:10 – The $10K target and mass-production strategy
38:15 – The risks of attachment to robot companions
40:00 – Final thoughts on Cody and the future of social robots