YiLink TIMO

$149 – $250 (Kickstarter)Kickstarter tiers were $149 / $179 / $199 for the CarPlay version (phone and CarPlay provide the connection) and $209 / $229 / $249 for the 4G LTE + Wi-Fi version with the first year of mobile data included. YiLink's store lists MSRPs of $239 (Timo Pro) and $339 (Timo Max). Every unit includes one year of Core Membership, and renewal pricing has not been published.

Announced onlyNot programmableKickstarterIn-carScreen faceNot shipping yet

Not releasedShipping: Kickstarter delivery est. Nov 2026. The Kickstarter campaign is live from Sept 10 to Oct 10, 2026 and has passed its goal. Kickstarter lists estimated delivery as November 2026. YiLink's own store also takes pre-orders. Kickstarter ↗

Remote control: Not possible. It is controlled by voice and the YiLink app.

Kickstarter campaign ↗YiLink ↗

Overview

TIMO is a small dashboard robot with a screen face that chats by voice, remembers preferences and leans with the car through an internal motion system driven by its IMU. Social features let owners leave voice messages tied to real locations for other TIMO users to find, and GPS is built in, though YiLink says precise location is not shown to others and the features can be switched off. YiLink's own pages disagree on privacy (one says all audio is processed on the device, another that requests are processed after the wake phrase and AI use depends on a membership), so the cloud dependence is unclear. The Kickstarter campaign passed its small goal with 26 backers and ends October 10, 2026, with delivery estimated for November 2026. Suits drivers who want a playful talking companion, with the usual caution about distraction while driving.

Specifications

Category	Companion robots · Desk & social robots
Released	2026
Country	Hong Kong
Availability	Announced only
Crowdfunding	Kickstarter · Live campaign · 26 backers · ≈$4,435 raised of a ≈$2,013 goal · Sep 10, 2026 – Oct 10, 2026 · delivery est. Nov 2026 (as of Oct 6, 2026) Campaign ↗
Sales	26 Kickstarter backers, about $4,400 raised (2026, campaign still live, estimate) Kickstarter ↗
Programmability	No programmability
Built-in autonomy	Reactive · Responds to its surroundings without a map, such as avoiding obstacles or following a person
LLM support	Built-in LLM chat · Voice conversations through cloud AI models after the "Hi Timo" wake phrase, with long-term memory. YiLink lists "multiple leading models" and OpenAI, and the first year of its Core Membership covers AI conversations. YiLink ↗
MuJoCo simulation	None found · Nothing found.
NVIDIA Isaac simulation	None found · Nothing found.
Gazebo simulation	None found · Nothing found.
Best for	Ages 13+ (estimated)
Vision sensors	No vision sensors
Actuators	Unknown
Audio	Speaker, Microphone
Compute type	Arduino / ESP32 / microcontroller
Remote control	Not programmable
Size	107.8 × 67.7 mm (H × W)
Drive	Stationary dashboard unit, an internal motion system makes it lean and move in response to acceleration, braking, turns and conversation (axes not published)
Compute	Dual-core MCU + 4G module per the store listing, also described as a dual-NPU chip
Vision	None listed
Lidar	None
Sensors	6-axis IMU, dual noise-cancelling mics, GPS, 1.9-inch screen face, 256-color light ring in the base, 3 W speaker, 8 GB storage
Runtime	Runs on car power through USB-C (included car charger)
Speed	N/A
SDK	None. YiLink says it publishes CAD files for 3D-printed magnetic accessories

Timeline

Sep 8, 2026Kickstarter pre-launchYiLink announced the upcoming Kickstarter campaign GlobeNewswire ↗
Sep 10, 2026Campaign launchedKickstarter campaign launched with CarPlay and 4G LTE versions GlobeNewswire ↗
Oct 10, 2026 (est.)Campaign endCampaign deadline Kickstarter ↗
Nov 2026 (est.)Estimated deliveryEstimated delivery to backers Kickstarter ↗