Recap: Vector is Anki's fourth major product behind Anki Drive, the racing game featured during Apple's WWDC 2013 keynote, Anki Overdrive (its follow-up) and Cozmo, the company's first standalone robot.

Robotics and AI start-up Anki has launched a Kickstarter campaign for Vector, a new home robot "with personality."

Vector is a fully autonomous, cloud-connected, always-on robot that is aware of his surroundings through sight, touch and sound. It's not an appliance that sits in the corner waiting for you to flip a switch, Anki says, but rather, an extension of your family that's excited to see you each day.

Vector sounds a lot like a smart speaker on wheels. You can ask him questions or inquire about the weather, use it to set a timer when cooking dinner and even have him snap a photo. He can also play games, much like Anki's previous robot, Cozmo. In fact, Vector looks nearly identical to Cozmo.

Hanns Tappeiner, co-founder and president of Anki, said they chose to launch the new robot on Kickstarter because they want to put it in the hands of the platform's robust design and tech community.

It's a bet that's already paying dividends. With 28 days remaining in the campaign, Anki has already eclipsed its $500,000 funding goal by more than $62,000 courtesy of more than 2,500 backers.

If you're interested in being one of the first to get your hands on Vector, a minimum pledge of $199 will do the trick. The first units are expected to ship out to backers in October.