diff --git a/examples/robot_commands/robot_commands.js b/examples/robot_commands/robot_commands.js
index b7adf40..65c7c5c 100644
--- a/examples/robot_commands/robot_commands.js
+++ b/examples/robot_commands/robot_commands.js
@@ -1,29 +1,25 @@
 var Cylon = require('../..');
 
-Cylon.api({ host: '0.0.0.0', port: '8080' });
+Cylon.api();
 
-var MyRobot = (function() {
-  function MyRobot() {}
+Cylon.robot({
+  name: 'Frankie',
 
-  MyRobot.prototype.commands = ["relax"];
+  sayRelax: function() {
+    return this.name + " says relax";
+  },
 
-  MyRobot.prototype.relax = function() {
-    return "" + this.name + " says relax";
-  };
-
-  MyRobot.prototype.work = function(me) {
-    every((1).seconds(), function() {
-      console.log(me.name);
+  work: function(my) {
+    every((5).seconds(), function() {
+      console.log(my.sayRelax());
     });
-  };
+  },
 
-  return MyRobot;
-
-})();
-
-var robot = new MyRobot;
-robot.name = "frankie";
-
-Cylon.robot(robot);
+  commands: function() {
+    return {
+      say_relax: this.sayRelax
+    };
+  }
+});
 
 Cylon.start();
diff --git a/examples/robot_commands/robot_commands.markdown b/examples/robot_commands/robot_commands.markdown
index 0ae7c46..6261b22 100644
--- a/examples/robot_commands/robot_commands.markdown
+++ b/examples/robot_commands/robot_commands.markdown
@@ -14,48 +14,40 @@ First, let's make sure to load up Cylon:
 
     var Cylon = require('../..');
 
-Now that we've got that, let's set up a custom API port:
+Now that we've got that, let's set up the api:
 
-    Cylon.api({ host: '0.0.0.0', port: '8080' });
+    Cylon.api();
 
-And with that done let's define our robot. We'll make a class to contain this
-robot's logic:
+And with that done let's define our robot:
 
-    var MyRobot = (function() {
-      function MyRobot() {}
+    Cylon.robot({
+      name: 'Frankie',
 
-To let the API know what commands this robot has, we need to provide a `commands` array.
+The result of this method will be returned to the HTTP client as part of a JSON
+object.
 
-      MyRobot.prototype.commands = ["relax"];
-
-And with that done, we can now define the method. The result of this method will
-be returned to the HTTP client as part of a JSON object.
-
-      MyRobot.prototype.relax = function() {
-        return "" + this.name + " says relax";
-      };
+      sayRelax: function() {
+        return this.name + " says relax");
+      },
 
 Since we don't really care what actual work this robot does, but need to keep it
-busy, we'll just tell it to print it's name every second.
+busy, we'll just tell it to print it's name every five seconds.
 
-      MyRobot.prototype.work = function(me) {
-        every((1).seconds(), function() {
-          console.log(me.name);
+      work: function(my) {
+        every((5).seconds(), function() {
+          console.log(my.sayRelax());
         });
-      };
+      },
 
-      return MyRobot;
+We'll then set up the `commands` object, which tells the API which commands the
+Robot has should be publically accessible:
 
-    })();
-
-And with that all done, we can now instantiate our robot:
-
-    var robot = new MyRobot;
-
-Now we can just give it a name and send it off to Cylon.
-
-    robot.name = "frankie";
-    Cylon.robot(robot);
+      commands: function() {
+        return {
+          say_relax: this.sayRelax
+        };
+      }
+    });
 
 And now that all the pieces are in place, we can start up Cylon:
 
diff --git a/lib/api/routes.js b/lib/api/routes.js
index 0cf5ee6..a266a9b 100644
--- a/lib/api/routes.js
+++ b/lib/api/routes.js
@@ -64,12 +64,12 @@ router.get("/robots/:robot", load, function(req, res) {
 });
 
 router.get("/robots/:robot/commands", load, function(req, res) {
-  res.json({ commands: req.robot.commands });
+  res.json({ commands: Object.keys(req.robot.commands) });
 });
 
 router.all("/robots/:robot/commands/:command", load, function(req, res) {
-  var command = req.params.command;
-  var result = req.robot[command].apply(req.robot, req.commandParams);
+  var command = req.robot.commands[req.params.command];
+  var result = command.apply(req.robot, req.commandParams);
   res.json({ result: result });
 });
 
diff --git a/lib/driver.js b/lib/driver.js
index 46df2b4..1af1978 100644
--- a/lib/driver.js
+++ b/lib/driver.js
@@ -25,12 +25,12 @@ var Driver = module.exports = function Driver(opts) {
   this.name = opts.name;
   this.device = opts.device;
   this.connection = this.device.connection;
+
+  this.commands = {};
 };
 
 Utils.subclass(Driver, Basestar);
 
-Driver.prototype.commands = [];
-
 // Public: Starts up the driver, and triggers the provided callback when done.
 //
 // callback - function to run when the driver is started
diff --git a/lib/robot.js b/lib/robot.js
index b831ca1..fdcb99e 100644
--- a/lib/robot.js
+++ b/lib/robot.js
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ var Robot = module.exports = function Robot(opts) {
   this.devices = {};
   this.adaptors = {};
   this.drivers = {};
-  this.commands = [];
+  this.commands = {};
   this.running = false;
   this.work = opts.work || opts.play;
 
@@ -95,13 +95,31 @@ var Robot = module.exports = function Robot(opts) {
   }
 
   for (var n in opts) {
-    var func = opts[n],
-        reserved = ['connection', 'connections', 'device', 'devices', 'work'];
+    var opt = opts[n],
+        reserved = ['connection', 'connections', 'device', 'devices', 'work', 'commands'];
 
     if (reserved.indexOf(n) < 0) {
-      this[n] = func;
+      this[n] = opt;
+    }
+
+    if (opts.commands == null && typeof(opt) === 'function') {
+      this.commands[n] = opt;
     }
   }
+
+  if (typeof opts.commands === 'function') {
+    var result = opts.commands.call(this, this);
+    if (typeof result === 'object' && !Array.isArray(result)) {
+      this.commands = result;
+    } else {
+      throw new Error("commands must be an object or a function that returns an object");
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (typeof opts.commands === 'object') {
+    this.commands = opts.commands;
+  }
+
 };
 
 Utils.subclass(Robot, EventEmitter);
@@ -143,7 +161,7 @@ Robot.prototype.toJSON = function() {
     name: this.name,
     connections: connections,
     devices: devices,
-    commands: this.commands
+    commands: Object.keys(this.commands)
   };
 };
 
diff --git a/lib/test/ping.js b/lib/test/ping.js
index 91a622b..48b767b 100644
--- a/lib/test/ping.js
+++ b/lib/test/ping.js
@@ -11,11 +11,12 @@
 var Driver = require('../driver'),
     Utils = require('../utils');
 
-var Ping;
-
-module.exports = Ping = function Ping() {
+var Ping = module.exports = function Ping() {
   Ping.__super__.constructor.apply(this, arguments);
-  this.commands = ['ping'];
+
+  this.commands = {
+    ping: this.ping
+  };
 };
 
 Utils.subclass(Ping, Driver);
@@ -25,4 +26,6 @@ Ping.prototype.ping = function() {
   return "pong";
 };
 
-Ping.driver = function(opts) { return new Ping(opts); };
+Ping.driver = function(opts) {
+  return new Ping(opts);
+};
diff --git a/test/specs/driver.spec.js b/test/specs/driver.spec.js
index 8667bac..61021d3 100644
--- a/test/specs/driver.spec.js
+++ b/test/specs/driver.spec.js
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ describe("Driver", function() {
     });
 
     it("sets @commands to an empty array by default", function() {
-      expect(driver.commands).to.be.eql([]);
+      expect(driver.commands).to.be.eql({});
     });
   });
 
diff --git a/test/specs/robot.spec.js b/test/specs/robot.spec.js
index fbc7bc1..fe7a7e7 100644
--- a/test/specs/robot.spec.js
+++ b/test/specs/robot.spec.js
@@ -84,6 +84,83 @@ describe("Robot", function() {
         expect(fn).to.throw(Error, "No connections specified");
       });
     });
+
+    context("if no commands are provided", function() {
+      var robot;
+
+      beforeEach(function() {
+        robot = new Robot({
+          name: 'NewBot',
+          otherThings: { more: 'details' },
+          sayHello: function() { return "Hello!" }
+        });
+      });
+
+      it("sets #commands to the additionally provided functions", function() {
+        expect(robot.commands).to.be.eql({ sayHello: robot.sayHello });
+      });
+    });
+
+    context("if a commands function is provided", function() {
+      var robot;
+
+      beforeEach(function() {
+        robot = new Robot({
+          name: 'NewBot',
+
+          sayHello: function() { return this.name + " says hello" },
+
+          commands: function() {
+            return {
+              say_hello: this.sayHello
+            }
+          }
+        });
+      });
+
+      it("sets #commands to the returned object", function() {
+        expect(robot.commands.say_hello).to.be.eql(robot.sayHello);
+      });
+
+      context("if the function doesn't return an object", function() {
+        var fn;
+        beforeEach(function() {
+          fn = function() {
+            new Robot({
+              name: 'NewBot',
+
+              commands: function() {
+                return [];
+              }
+            });
+          }
+        });
+
+        it("throws an error", function() {
+          expect(fn).to.throw(Error, "commands must be an object or a function that returns an object");
+        });
+      })
+    });
+
+    context("if a commands object is provided", function() {
+      var robot;
+
+      beforeEach(function() {
+        robot = new Robot({
+          name: 'NewBot',
+
+          sayHello: function() { return this.name + " says hello" },
+
+          commands: {
+           say_hello: function() {}
+          }
+        });
+      });
+
+      it("sets #commands to the provided object", function() {
+        expect(robot.commands.say_hello).to.be.a('function');
+      });
+    });
   });
 
   describe("all work and no play", function() {
@@ -96,7 +173,7 @@ describe("Robot", function() {
     it('makes Jack a dull boy', function() {
       expect(playBot.work).to.be.eql(play);
     })
-  })
+  });
 
   describe("#toJSON", function() {
     var bot = new Robot({
@@ -115,7 +192,7 @@ describe("Robot", function() {
     });
 
     it("contains the robot's commands", function() {
-      expect(json.commands).to.eql(bot.commands);
+      expect(json.commands).to.eql(Object.keys(bot.commands));
     });
 
     it("contains the robot's devices", function() {