Print
Oct 17, 2007 8:00 am US/Eastern
Next-Gen Robots Will Be Big For Holidays
High-Tech Robotics Come In Toy Packages
Gregg Geller, WCBSTV.com
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
-
-
Erector's Spykee is a build-it-yourself robot filled with high-tech features including Wi-Fi controls, a webcam and VOIP phone service.
CBS
-
-
The highly interactive Robopanda responds to touch and sound.
CBS
-
-
The Novint Falcon's force-feedback adds a whole new dimension to gameplay.
CBS
-
-
The Roboquad offers a full range of motion and can be programmed as a watchdog.
CBS
Next generation robots will be a big hit this upcoming holiday season. Robots at this year's Digital Life Expo came in many shapes, sizes and prices, and with varying capabilities. What became clear was that no matter what you budget or desires for a new robotic toy, something is available for everyone.
At Digital Life, WowWee showed off its latest offerings, which include an interactive panda; a radio-controlled flying bug from Dreamworks new film, "Bee Movie"; and the Roboquad, which is touted as "a whole new species of robotics."
Robopanda
WowWee Robopanda is cute but not cuddly, though it quickly becomes very endearing. Its sing-song voice and amazing mobility help to create truly interactive play. The Robopanda has 40 possible movements, including walking, crawling and, of course, hugging.
The plastic panda responds to several touchpoints, and can tell you how it's feeling, especially when it comes in contact with its plush baby panda (also included in the package). Interactive entertainment cartridges give it a creative edge and extend playtime with stories, jokes and more.
Robopanda's "Training" mode helps to teach you interact with it; "Friend" mode starts up a two-way conversation; and "Menu" mode will let you choose stories, games or songs. Setup is relatively simple, but mastering the menu modes can take some time, so work with young panda enthusiasts to help guide them through the process.
Robopanda is available now for around $149.95.
Roboquad
WowWee's agile Robquad walks like a crab-spider hybrid, and can move around independently. What's unique about the Roboquad is that he is programmed to be "curious" about his environment, "remembering" where obstacles are as it moves around. This "awareness" comes in handy when he's in security mode.
Roboquad can become a watchdog, even in the dark, and will respond to movement depending up on his state of alert. Be wary of frightening pets and small children, who might be put off by the robot's aggressive stance. But, since Roboquad is a good dancer, he can still be entertaining for kids of all ages.
Roboquad is available now for around $99.
For all of WowWee's products, plan on spending at least 90 minutes learning the various programming and interactivity instructions. The robots look simple, but can be quite complicated to operate -- especially at the advanced levels. The included product manuals are helpful, but are somewhat sparse when it comes to providing detailed information.
Also, freeing the units from their protective packaging can be quite a challenge. The Roboquad, for example, took about 40 minutes to carefully remove from its box (including the required use of a Philips-head screwdriver, which is noted in a separate instruction sheet).
Obviously, the units are filled with sensitive electronics, and all that packing is necessary. That won't matter to a child as they rip open the box, so plan ahead!
Erector: Spykee
The nuts and bolts of the old Erector construction sets are also now a thing of the past. Erector unveiled Spykee -- a WiFi surveillance robot that you build yourself. It can be controlled via the Internet anywhere in the world, and features a built-in Voice-Over-I-P phone, webcam and digital music player.
Like the Erector sets of old, you put this one together yourself, making for a full-flavored robotic experience. According to the reps over at Erector, the robot should take about an hour to build, and is fully compatible with traditional Erector sets.
The Spykee is available in November and is set to retail for around $300 from such catalog merchants as Sharper Image.
iRobot Looj & ConnectR
Handy at home are two new offerings from iRobot -- the company that has brought you the Roomba robot vacuums. The iRobot Looj is designed to fit inside standard house gutters and will clean them for you without all the hassles of a ladder and scoop. A rotating brush clears away any debris.
The ConnectR "virtual visiting robot" features a pan-tilt-zoom video camera, microphone and speaker to see and hear what's going on where you are not.
The iRobot ConnectR will be available to consumers in 2008 and will be priced under $500. The iRobot Looj is available now for $99.
Novint Falcon
A cool, new "robotic hand" could make traditional joysticks and gamepads obsolete. The next generation of game controllers looks like something that is more out of "Battlestar Galactica" than from your neighborhood electronics store and offer amazingly realistic sensations.
The Novint Falcon, for one, looks anything like but a computer controller. It looks like some kind of tabletop robot and when you plug it into your PC, it provides users with realistic, virtual 3-D touches of texture, vibrations and force feedback. That adds a whole new layer to first-person gaming.
Touch a wall, and you can feel the texture of the bricks. Fire a weapon and feel the kickback. Touch something slippery and you feel the sensation of the slick surface. With the Falcon, you must "feel your way" around solid objects. Most amazingly, when you touch something viscous, the Falcon translates the sensation of stickiness into real gooey feelings.
The Falcon is currently available and sells for around $240.
But, wait, there's more!
Check out a review of a new "bionic" eye called "EyeClops" that magnifies the world around you.
Watch demos of some of the cool technology on display at Digital Life:
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
