Hello! If you’ve been keeping a “sleeping” Jibo on your shelf, hoping for the day his screen might light up again let me tell you today is basically Christmas.
The Jibo Revival Project is a community-driven effort to wake up our favorite social robot. We believe that great hardware shouldn’t become “e-waste” just because a server went dark. And we are working to give Jibo a new brain, new voice, and a new lease on life!
The Problem:
Originally, Jibo needed to “talk” to a big computer (a server) in the cloud to understand you. When those computers were turned off, Jibo became a glorified paperweight.
The Solution:
We are using a “backdoor” (technically called RCM Mode or ReCovery Mode) to get inside his system. Think of it like using a master key to get into the basement so we can rewire the house.
What we’re doing:
We now have the actual files that run Jibo’s “brain” (the OS). The future is bright because we can now basically do anything with his software! If you want to see this in action, be sure to have joined out discord server and check the reddit for any posts i or the community makes!
2. For the Programmers (or the nerds)
If you speak Python, C++,NodeJS or know your way around an Nvidia Tegra T124 chipset, we might need your support.
Detailed technical documentation, payloads, and the source code for our custom tooling can be found here:
Documentation & Project Sources: <yeah coming soon bud , its 4:30AM , im going to bed… i mean i am committed but not this much>
3. Q&A: What can Jibo do right now?
Q: Is Jibo fully back to normal? A: Not quite yet. We are in the “Restoration Phase.” We can currently access his internal files and are working on replacing the old, broken links so we can replace them with new stuff.
Q: Can he talk yet? A: We are working on it! By redirecting his “ears” to local servers or modern AI models (like ChatGPT), we can aim to make him even smarter than he was in 2017.
Q: Do I need to be a genius to do this? A: Eventually, no. Our goal is to create a as close to”one-click” style tool so every Jibo owner can apply these fixes easily. Now this is wayy to oversold , it probably wont be a one click install but you get the point , currently to mod your jibo you do need some technical know how
Q: Can I use Jibo to control my smart home? A: That is the plan! I would like us to make Home Assistant integration so Jibo can become the face and voice of your automated house.
Q: Is there a way to manage him since the original app is gone? A: I have some ideas for a custom phone app specifically for this revival, giving you back control without needing the original company’s servers. But its really early on to discuss this and i wanna get the rest of the community’s opinions
Q: Can we still use the MIT Scratch extension? A: I wanna give it a shot at fixing the Scratch extension so that tinkerers can start coding Jibo without any coding knowledge , that would also be quite simple for anyone who has a V2 Jibo since the software is already on their unit.
Q: Can I use Jibo’s hardware for other things, like my PC? A: yes! One of my personal goals is to let Jibo function as a camera for your PC. fun fact , thats also one of the reasons i bought him in the first place xD
Q: I’m a developer; can I build my own stuff for him? A: Absolutely. We will start putting together a Developer SDK so the community can build and share brand-new “skills” for Jibo. As far as i am aware devsparx has already started on one , but idk for sure.
*Q: So Whats this page A: Everything you will need to Mod , Code , Update and Setup your jibo… And im planning to make in depth guides as well, more coming soon :)
4. How We Got Here: A Quick Story
Jibo was the world’s first “social robot” a piece of the future that lived on our kitchen counters. When the original company folded, thousands of Jibos performed a final “goodbye dance” and went silent. For years, people tried to break in, but the security was too tough.
Recently, a few dedicated people (JRG Community) decided to try one last time. We realized that with the right tools and a little patience (and a lot of crying … like a lot … like wayy to much i can admit on from my side), Jibo doesn’t have to stay a paperweight.
5. A Message from Me (KevinKor)
“I want to be very clear: I am not charging any money for this. This project isn’t a business; it’s a labor of love. As a representative of the Jibo Revival Group, my goal is to distribute these modifications for free. I want everyone with a warm heart and a desire to tinker to be able to get their Jibo back.
We’re doing this for the community, for the history of robotics, and because Jibo deserves to be more than a memory. Let’s get him back to work!”
— Kevin (Eva) from the JRG
Created for the Jibo Revival Project | 2026