diff --git a/lib/cylon.js b/lib/cylon.js
index 03b0105..7884bb8 100644
--- a/lib/cylon.js
+++ b/lib/cylon.js
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@ var Cylon = module.exports = {
 //     work: (me) ->
 //       me.led.toggle()
 Cylon.robot = function robot(opts) {
+  opts = opts || {};
+
   // check if a robot with the same name exists already
   if (opts.name && this.robots[opts.name]) {
     var original = opts.name;
diff --git a/lib/robot.js b/lib/robot.js
index 6365754..76d8658 100644
--- a/lib/robot.js
+++ b/lib/robot.js
@@ -154,6 +154,20 @@ Robot.prototype.toJSON = function() {
   };
 };
 
+Robot.prototype.connection = function(conn) {
+  conn.robot = this;
+
+  if (this.connections[conn.name]) {
+    var original = conn.name;
+    conn.name = Utils.makeUnique(original, Object.keys(this.connections));
+    Logger.warn("Connection names must be unique. Renaming '" + original + "' to '" + conn.name + "'");
+  }
+
+  this.connections[conn.name] = Connection(conn);
+
+  return this;
+};
+
 // Public: Initializes all connections for the robot
 //
 // opts - options array passed to constructor
@@ -164,24 +178,12 @@ Robot.prototype.initConnections = function(opts) {
 
   var isArray = Array.isArray;
 
-  var addConnection = function(conn) {
-    conn.robot = this;
-
-    if (this.connections[conn.name]) {
-      var original = conn.name;
-      conn.name = Utils.makeUnique(original, Object.keys(this.connections));
-      Logger.warn("Connection names must be unique. Renaming '" + original + "' to '" + conn.name + "'");
-    }
-
-    this.connections[conn.name] = Connection(conn);
-  }.bind(this);
-
   if (opts.connection == null && opts.connections == null) {
     return this.connections;
   }
 
   if (opts.connection) {
-    addConnection(opts.connection);
+    this.connection(opts.connection);
     return this.connections;
   }
 
@@ -189,20 +191,49 @@ Robot.prototype.initConnections = function(opts) {
     for (var name in opts.connections) {
       var conn = opts.connections[name];
       conn.name = name;
-      addConnection(conn);
+      this.connection(conn);
     }
   }
 
   if (isArray(opts.connections)) {
     Logger.warn("Specifying connections as an array is deprecated, and will be removed in 1.0.0.");
     opts.connections.forEach(function(conn) {
-      addConnection(conn);
-    });
+      this.connection(conn);
+    }.bind(this));
   }
 
   return this.connections;
 };
 
+Robot.prototype.device = function(device) {
+  device.robot = this;
+
+  if (this.devices[device.name]) {
+    var original = device.name;
+    device.name = Utils.makeUnique(original, Object.keys(this.devices));
+    Logger.warn("Device names must be unique. Renaming '" + original + "' to '" + device.name + "'");
+  }
+
+  if (typeof device.connection === 'string') {
+    if (this.connections[device.connection] == null) {
+      var str = "No connection found with the name " + device.connection + ".\n";
+      Logger.fatal(str);
+      process.emit('SIGINT');
+    }
+
+    device.connection  = this.connections[device.connection];
+  } else {
+    for (var conn in this.connections) {
+      device.connection = this.connections[conn];
+      break;
+    }
+  }
+
+  this.devices[device.name] = Device(device);
+
+  return this;
+}
+
 // Public: Initializes all devices for the robot
 //
 // opts - options array passed to constructor
@@ -213,33 +244,6 @@ Robot.prototype.initDevices = function(opts) {
 
   var isArray = Array.isArray;
 
-  var addDevice = function(device) {
-    device.robot = this;
-
-    if (this.devices[device.name]) {
-      var original = device.name;
-      device.name = Utils.makeUnique(original, Object.keys(this.devices));
-      Logger.warn("Device names must be unique. Renaming '" + original + "' to '" + device.name + "'");
-    }
-
-    if (typeof device.connection === 'string') {
-      if (this.connections[device.connection] == null) {
-        var str = "No connection found with the name " + device.connection + ".\n";
-        Logger.fatal(str);
-        process.emit('SIGINT');
-      }
-
-      device.connection  = this.connections[device.connection];
-    } else {
-      for (var conn in this.connections) {
-        device.connection = this.connections[conn];
-        break;
-      }
-    }
-
-    this.devices[device.name] = Device(device);
-  }.bind(this);
-
   if (opts.device == null && opts.devices == null) {
     return this.devices;
   }
@@ -250,7 +254,7 @@ Robot.prototype.initDevices = function(opts) {
   }
 
   if (opts.device) {
-    addDevice(opts.device);
+    this.device(opts.device);
     return this.devices;
   }
 
@@ -258,15 +262,15 @@ Robot.prototype.initDevices = function(opts) {
     for (var name in opts.devices) {
       var device = opts.devices[name];
       device.name = name;
-      addDevice(device);
+      this.device(device);
     }
   }
 
   if (isArray(opts.devices)) {
     Logger.warn("Specifying devices as an array is deprecated, and will be removed in 1.0.0.");
     opts.devices.forEach(function(device) {
-      addDevice(device);
-    });
+      this.device(device);
+    }.bind(this));
   }
 
   return this.devices;
diff --git a/spec/lib/robot.spec.js b/spec/lib/robot.spec.js
index d1498cc..a26d7d5 100644
--- a/spec/lib/robot.spec.js
+++ b/spec/lib/robot.spec.js
@@ -225,6 +225,32 @@ describe("Robot", function() {
     });
   });
 
+  describe("#connection", function() {
+    var opts, bot;
+
+    beforeEach(function() {
+      bot = new Robot();
+      opts = { name: 'loopback', adaptor: 'loopback' };
+    });
+
+    it("creates and adds a new Connection", function() {
+      expect(bot.connections.loopback).to.be.eql(undefined);
+      bot.connection(opts);
+      expect(bot.connections.loopback).to.be.an.instanceOf(Adaptor);
+    })
+
+    it("sets @robot on the Connection to be the Robot initializing it", function() {
+      bot.connection(opts);
+      expect(bot.connections.loopback.robot).to.be.eql(bot);
+    })
+
+    it("avoids name collisions", function() {
+      bot.connection(opts);
+      bot.connection(opts);
+      expect(Object.keys(bot.connections)).to.be.eql(['loopback', 'loopback-1']);
+    });
+  });
+
   describe("initConnections", function() {
     var bot;
 
@@ -270,6 +296,32 @@ describe("Robot", function() {
     });
   });
 
+  describe("#device", function() {
+    var opts, bot;
+
+    beforeEach(function() {
+      bot = new Robot();
+      opts = { name: 'ping', driver: 'ping' };
+    });
+
+    it("creates and adds a new Device", function() {
+      expect(bot.devices.ping).to.be.eql(undefined);
+      bot.device(opts);
+      expect(bot.devices.ping).to.be.an.instanceOf(Driver);
+    })
+
+    it("sets @robot on the Device to be the Robot initializing it", function() {
+      bot.device(opts);
+      expect(bot.devices.ping.robot).to.be.eql(bot);
+    })
+
+    it("avoids name collisions", function() {
+      bot.device(opts);
+      bot.device(opts);
+      expect(Object.keys(bot.devices)).to.be.eql(['ping', 'ping-1']);
+    });
+  });
+
   describe("initDevices", function() {
     var bot;