MicroBot Push (2nd Generation) - Wireless Robotic Button Pusher for Smart Home Automation (Platinum White)

Seems like the company released the product to early. Information on website, supplied instructions and app is confusing. Cool idea just not executed well.States you can use your old phone as a hub. iPhones have connection problems. The company told me that some users the hub stays connected while others have to refresh the app.Also the microbot will disconnect from the hub and connect to my phone. This messed things up and I was unable to open my garage with the phone. then the microbot was triggered without my input. I contacted the company, trouble shooted with them. Told I need a hub, that it won’t be released tell June 2019. Will give me 17% discount on Hub.Website shows using raspberry pi as a hub. Was told this is for the old app support. They will no longer support this.There is two apps on the App Store was confusing knowing which one to use. The microbot came with instructions to use the old app.Need clearer advertisement product not ready for prime time.

A tad expensive for what it does but in all fairness this product is targeting a niche market. I use this in combination with a raspberry pi zero running prota os. I can now remotely turn on my equipment when an order comes in and have it shut the equipment down when the orders are processed. It works very well for what it does which is push a button. Before I had to resort to making trips to the office to turn on a machine if I had an order that day. Now I can sit at home and let the machine turn on and off as needed. IFTTT, prota and microbots allowed me to accomplish this. For that I am grateful. 1 1/2 hours shaved off each day is more time for me to spend with family.

It is really sad that a product that can be wonderful, could be so badly marketed before it is ready.Since the MicroBot Push really becomes useful with the Prota S, both need to be addressed together. There are two parts to the problem, a. the MicroBot Push, and b. the Prota S.I purchased the Microbot Push and discovered that it has a serious limitation. You can operate the product with an iPhone, but that limits you to a distance of about 30 feet more or less. Some reviewers report much less 12 feet.To take advantage of remote operation, you need a Prota S unit, which will cost you another $89.99. There other options if you are a tinkerer, you can buy a Raspberry Pi and waste your time trying to configure it to run MicroBot. If it is as easy as they say, the Prota S, should be easier.You order A Prota S. You get the box, it contains some of the weirdest instructions, you need to know hieroglyphics, and if you can find the Rosetta Stone you might be able to get it deciphered. Good Luck.Be aware that the Prota S web site shows that three items are included in the box. When you get the product, however (through Amazon) it does not contain item 3. the power supply. I thought this was just a mistake. No it was not, the second one from Amazon did not have it either. So you have to order a separate power supply that is at least capable to deliver 2A at 5 volts to operate Prota S. Imagine buying a laptop finding out that you need to go out and buy a power supply. Really!The box in which Porta S comes in states: “Set up within 30 seconds”. Just the initialization or turning it ON to start connecting to the internet could take as much as 15 minutes. If you are lucky. What 30 seconds?Then starts your headache. Trying to connect is convoluted, you have to use hand gestures and watch blinking lights while you connect to the internet through the iPhone. Assuming you can connect.This product is not ready in its present form to go to market, at least not at the combined price of $140. It is still in proto-type stage and buyers are being used as Guinea Pigs, while updates are being pushed to correct whatever issues either the Prota S or the MicroBot are having.Comments from Naran to reviewers like: “We are very sorry to hear you've had a bit of an inconvenient experience with MicroBot Push. Since you've posted your comment, we have also made many improvements to our Prota OS and mobile applications for prota space and MicroBot Push to ensure more stability in device pairing.”, are not satisfactory. A bit of inconvenience is? You must be kidding!To summarize, it’s a good idea, and yes, it is clever, far too early for prime time.Two stars for the MicroBot Push since it connects to the iPhone. It would get 5 star if I can connect to it directly via Wi Fi.

Well the first one I ordered the actuator didn't work. My second one seems to work fine. I only use this device with Bluetooth. So far so good using the 2nd gen app. One thing that I have noticed that each time I disconnect from Bluetooth and reconnect my calibration percentage does NOT save and I need to re calibrate. This could be very damaging to the actuator if bot is already in a fixed position because it defaults to 100 percent---9/18/2020 update: So far so good working like a champ....The app is a bit quirky with updating bot current status etc. I mostly now use it stand alone no Bluetooth with a preprogramed number of times and plunger percentage. So basically with most of the bells and whistles off it is holding up. But I can understand if you expect everything to work..well I haven't been able to trust it to that point.

It's another great idea...poorly executed. I think this is a great device with a lot of potential, but it just doesn't work all the time.1. I'd rather not be tethered to Naran's servers (or any other) just to push a button!2. Overpriced!3. Bluetooth...come on...you can do better than that!I thought of reverse engineering it but didn't want to waste any more time with it...

Purchased specifically to connect to Alexa but all the Skills are outdated & don't work.So as a button, it works, sure. But as a smarthome-connected device, it doesn't work at all.