Fancy a sneak preview of what Christmas morning might be like for various tweenage kids expecting a new WowWee robot this holiday season? RoboCommunity’s appropriately-named Rudolph has picked up the company’s second new ‘bot, the Joebot, and has shared an unboxing photoset together with some hands-on feedback.
Video demo after the cut
When we looked at WowWee’s Rovio last month, one thing we were certain of was its mod-potential. As of next year, one of the more ambitious hacks will go live: RoboDance 5, with added support for Skype. While setting up the Rovio’s WiFi webcam streaming currently requires a little router tinkering, RoboDance 5 will utilize Skype’s zero-config setup to instantly connect the robot and a remote client, whether that client be Windows or Mac, or even a smartphone.
With the holiday season fast approaching, we’ve been featuring quite a number of toys here on SlashGear that, in our geeky opinion at least, are likely to be must-have items if you’re under the age of twelve. However, as self-confessed jaded cynics we turned to SlashGear’s latest reviewer, 8-year-old Tanner McBee (and his capable assistant and scribe, David McBee aka “Dad”). WowWee’s Femisapien has sashayed her way into many an adult reviewers heart over the past few months, but can she keep Tanner entertained?
Updated with video review from Tanner McBee himself.
WowWee’s RoboRemote is an aftermarket IR remote control for the company’s full range of current and future robots. Intended to make programming the robots more straightforward, it connects via USB to a computer and, with the included software, lets you script macros and routines that are then blasted across via infra-red. All well and good, but not quite enough for the guys over at RoboCommunity; they’ve been exploring ways to add new sensors and inputs to the WowWee stable courtesy of a hacked RoboRemote.
WowWee have been showing off the latest moves by their upcoming Femisapien robot, the first “female” ‘bot in their stable and certainly the most graceful (and also recently seen using the Sega Toys E.M.A. Robot name). After the cut you can see two new videos, the first explaining how custom movement routines can be programmed simply by moving Femisapien’s limbs around, while the second shows a staged fencing match between two of the robots. Comprising five motors with a total twelve degrees of freedom, Femisapien can be left to explore and react to her surroundings (in ‘Attentive’ mode) or programmed and these routines replayed (in ‘Learning’ and ‘Responsive’ modes).
The Daleks from Doctor Who may be iconic, but take them out into the street and you’re not likely to see children and grown adults alike cuddling them, snuffling their little noses and generally coo’ing like crazed doves. For that, you seemingly need one of Ugobe’s Pleo robot dinosaurs.
Words cannot express how frightened this makes me. Looking for all the world like a RoboSapien that has skinned Elmo and is wearing his hide like an extra from Silence of the Lambs, the coup de grâce is that, thanks to a personality upload, he can cruelly mimic the sounds and actions of his crimson prey.
Check out the video after the cut… if you’ve got the stomach for it!
WowWee’s Roboquad gives me the creeps. There, I’ve said it. It’s Robosapien may have been a vaguely friendly ape-like bot, but this multi-legged arachnoid/crab hybrid monster thing obviously triggers some long-forgotten childhood fears of mine. Maybe I was attacked by Mark Tilder wearing a spider suit. Anyway, PC Mag have tested out the white beast, and come away sounding more than a little confused.
A Robosapien with a flamethrower is one thing – it’s not so difficult to outrun the little blighter – but Marcus over at EVOSAPIEN has taken leave of his senses and fitted a Coilgun to his electronic friend. That’s right, now he doesn’t have to get up close to toast your shins, he can just pick you off with bullets the size of BB-pellets from a distance using a handy laser targeting system.
Thanks Marcus, I’m now going to be constantly afraid of what might be lurking under my desk at work. Of course, it goes without saying that you really shouldn’t try this at home, kids. Concentrate on building an underground resistance to fight the robot menace instead.
CoilOsapien [EVOSAPIEN - thanks to Robert for the tip]
While I’m jonesing like crazy to get my hands on WowWee’s Dragonfly robot, that doesn’t mean I’ll turn my nose or heels up at any other mechanical wonder that passes my way. So I find very interesting the news from Robosapien.tk forum member RSV3L, who apparently has the occasional conversation with WowWee founder Mark Tilden, about the latest in line to the Robosapien throne: Roboboa.
As the name might suggest, it’s a robot snake. But actually that does it a disservice – it’s a dancing robot snake. We have RSV3L to thank for the following details:
More details, as well as links to video of Roboboa in action after the cut!
SlashGear Japan
