Last Saturday, we brought six robots to an ice rink.
One of them got swept off the ice by a giant spider robot in the opening seconds. You can hear our COO Kai Mai say "oh no" in the background.
It was a great day.
Watch the Highlight Reel
Fair warning: watch what the spider robot does to Bittle in the first few seconds.
Robots on Ice 2026
Every April, the Silicon Valley Ice Skating Association hosts Robots on Ice at Sharks Ice San Jose — an event that's been running since 2020 with a simple mission: get more people excited about STEM. It works.
This year's event brought together robots of every size and shape — a full-sized Dalek replica from Doctor Who, a 250-pound six-legged machine on custom-sharpened ice skates, and dozens of smaller bots navigating the rink alongside their handlers.
Petoi's COO Kai Mai was there with a full lineup:
- Bittle — our original quadruped robot dog
- Bittle X — the upgraded version
- Nybble Q — our latest robot cat
- Bittle X with Arm — Bittle X with a robotic arm attachment
Six Petoi robots on ice in total, brought by Kai and Petoi customer Amit Bnerje and his family.
"All the kids — they're very excited about robots." — Kai Mai, COO, Petoi
The Family That Builds Together
Amit Bnerje drove out from Belmont with his two sons — Milek (10) and Riyan (7). They weren't just spectators. They brought a lineup of Petoi robots their kids had built themselves: Bittle, two Bittle X+Arm units, a Nybble Q, and one Bittle wearing a custom dinosaur head.
[Group photo — all robots + creators]
They got to show them off in front of a real crowd for the first time.
"They've been coming to this event annually. This is their main exposure to robotics, just in front of people — otherwise they are mainly playing on their own." — Amit Bnerje, Petoi customer
Building a robot at home is one thing. Showing it to the world is another.
As Seen in The Mercury News
The event was covered by Caelyn Pender from the Mercury News (Bay Area News Group) on April 25, 2026.
Read the full article → (may require subscription)
Want to Build Your Own?
Bittle, Bittle X, Nybble Q, and Bittle X with Arm are all open-source and kid-buildable. No ice rink required — but it does help.
