In a move that could shift robot training from pristine labs to messy, unpredictable reality, NoeMatrix has unveiled RoboPocket, a data collection kit that effectively turns a smartphone into a professional-grade spatial data recorder. The system leverages the multi-sensor fusion of a phone’s Vision, LiDAR, and IMU to capture high-precision data for training embodied AI, all from a device that fits in your pocket.
Unlike DIY rigs that require tedious post-processing, RoboPocket functions as an intelligent hub. It provides real-time feedback, warning the user if they’re moving too fast or straying from the workspace, and scores data quality on the fly. This “AI Tutor” ensures that only clean, usable data is fed into the training pipeline—because “garbage in, garbage out” is a particularly expensive lesson in robotics. The kit also includes a detachable fisheye lens to give the phone an ultra-wide field of view for comprehensive data capture.
The system is designed for scale and complexity. Multiple phones running RoboPocket can instantly share timestamps and SLAM coordinates, making it trivial to record coordinated, multi-perspective actions like dual-arm manipulation. NoeMatrix has already demonstrated that AI models trained exclusively on RoboPocket data can perform long-range, complex tasks, including autonomous towel folding and other industrial-grade manipulation, without any manual teleoperation.
Why is this important?
RoboPocket dramatically lowers the barrier to entry for high-quality robotics research and development. By replacing expensive, specialized hardware with a ubiquitous device, NoeMatrix is democratizing the ability to collect the vast amounts of real-world data needed to train capable, general-purpose robots. This could significantly accelerate the pace of innovation in embodied AI, allowing more teams to move beyond simulations and teach robots to navigate and interact with the chaos of the physical world. In short, you may no longer need to secure a venture capital round just to teach a robot how to do your laundry.
