Mondo Robotics unveils Beni, a camera robot that follows and films you

Mondo Robotics unveiled Beni as a 4K AI camera robot that follows and films a subject, and the pitch goes well beyond a standard motorized mount. The company says the rolling robot is built for all-terrain use, needs no crew, and can handle the kind of moving shots that usually force photographers and video creators to choose between a tripod, a gimbal, or a second operator.

The hardware claims are unusually bold for a consumer-facing camera tool. Mondo Robotics says Beni can travel up to 17.8 mph, weighs under 4 lb., and can jump, flip, climb stairs, and get back up after falling. The company is selling the device through an all-or-nothing Kickstarter campaign that runs until Sunday, September 6, 2026 at 7:45 AM PDT. Backers are being offered a founder price of $499, with a $10 refundable deposit and savings advertised at $320, or 33% off.

For solo creators, the appeal is easy to see. A robot that can track a subject across mixed terrain has obvious uses for self-portraits, hiking clips, behind-the-scenes coverage, warmups before a game or shoot, and hands-free social video. It also promises a different kind of follow shot, one that can move with a subject instead of panning from a fixed point. That is the practical question sitting underneath all the robotics theater: does Beni solve a real capture problem, or does it simply make the job look more futuristic?

Mondo Robotics says shipping is planned for the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. The company says it was founded in 2025 and claims a team of more than 200 engineers and artists. One third-party profile identifies the founders as Shuo Yang and Gao Jianrong, describing Yang as a former Tesla Optimus engineer and Gao as a former DJI director. Another profile places the company at roughly 150 engineers and designers split between Shenzhen and Palo Alto.

The broader category is not empty. Nikon Group subsidiary MRMC has spent years building robotic camera arms and motion-control systems for film and broadcasting, while Amazon Astro showed how quickly a mobile camera platform can shift from clever gadget to privacy conversation. Beni enters that same space with a sharper consumer pitch: not just a robot in the room, but a moving camera that tries to replace the second pair of hands photographers have long depended on.