Pixl Robotics, Inc. is launching Nub on Kickstarter on Nov. 4, 2026. Nub is a palm-sized desk robot that tracks focus sessions, interruptions and time away without a camera, a screen, a wearable or a subscription. Nub does not speak. It communicates through chirps and head movements, and it sits on the desk beside the computer its user works on. It is made for people who want to know how they spend their time.
Pixl Nub on a desk next to a laptop.
Built for people who want to run their day
Pixl Robotics says Nub is for people who want to run their day instead of letting their day run them. The company points to a growing group that already tracks steps, calories and sleep, often with smart rings or fitness bands, and wants the same visibility into time and focus. Nub is designed to show where those hours actually go.
A desk robot that communicates without speaking
Pixl Robotics describes Nub as a desk companion built around staying quiet while its user works. The robot has no screen and sends no notifications. It lifts its head and chirps when its user sits down. While the user is locked in, it stays silent, and it chirps again only to bring the user back into a focus session.
Nub senses presence with radar rather than a camera.
A focus session can be started by tapping Nub’s head and saying, “Let’s lock in. Forty minutes,” after which the robot chirps to confirm. Nub also tracks time at the desk without a session being started. When someone walks up during a session, the robot turns and stares at them.
Nub turns and stares at someone who walks up during a focus session.
Tracking focus, interruptions and time away
A companion app gives a recap of the day: time at the desk, time away, each focus session, how often a session was interrupted, and how long it took to get back to focus.
Focus sessions in the Nub app. Illustrative screen with sample data.
Nuzair Nuwais of Pixl Robotics said the app showed a pattern in the two hours after lunch. “I spend all day with Nub at my desk. At the end of the day I look at my day in the app, and it shows I move about 30% more in the two hours after my lunch break. I’m restless,” Nuwais said. “I would have never noticed that without Nub.”
The technology: dual radar, no camera
Nub uses two radar sensors, one at 60 GHz and one at 24 GHz, to detect presence and movement and, while a person sits still within about 0.4 to 1.5 meters, breathing and heart rate. Two motors position its head, a built-in speaker produces its chirps, and an IMU senses taps, touches and desk movement. The robot does not capture images of faces. Presence behavior runs on the device, Pixl Robotics says. Presence and heartbeat data can also sync to the cloud to power Nub’s reactions. Users own their data and can purge the on-device data at any time with the press of a button in the phone app.
From talking robots to a quiet one
Nuzair Nuwais has been building desk robots since 2022. Early versions had a screen and talked to their users, which, Pixl Robotics says, added to the distractions already competing for attention on a desk. Nuwais has since shifted to a robot that does not ask for attention: one designed to help its user move toward their goals, instead of away from them.
Pricing and availability
Nub launches on Kickstarter on Nov. 4, 2026. Pixl Robotics lists three price points:
- VIP price: $200 all-in, with shipping and tax included. Backers who hold a refundable $5 deposit from pixlrobotics.com pledge the remaining $195 on Kickstarter using the same email address. The deposit also holds a place in the first fulfillment batch.
- Public Kickstarter price: $260, plus shipping and tax.
- Planned retail price after the campaign: $399, plus shipping and tax.
VIP and deposit details are at pixlrobotics.com. The Kickstarter campaign page is here.
The bigger picture
Pixl Robotics describes Nub as a different kind of desk robot. It does not take attention or ask for time. The company’s aim is for it to help its user give time back and nudge them toward a better version of themselves, improving by about 1% a day toward their goals. Privacy is built into that approach, with no camera and no screen on the desk.
About Pixl Robotics
Pixl Robotics, Inc. makes Pixl Nub, a desk robot that tracks focus sessions, interruptions and time away without a camera, a screen, a wearable or a subscription. The company was founded by Nuzair Nuwais, who has been building desk robots since 2022. More at pixlrobotics.com and on Instagram at @pixl_robotics_ and on YouTube at @PixlRobotics.