WowWee

High-tech toy-maker WowWee has just unveiled its latest robotic device, a dog named CHiP. Short for "Canine Home Intelligent Pet," CHiP is a black and white robotic puppy with blue LED, and more than a few sensors that allow it to navigate rooms, find its toy ball, and even go to its charging station. The toy also uses Bluetooth to connect with a wristband worn by users, which they can use to give the dog commands, as well as have it track their location.

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Windows Phone may not be the first platform you think about for robotics, but one developer is hoping to change all that with WowWee RoboMe integration putting Microsoft's speech recognition engine behind the wheel. Built around the same underlying technology that gives Windows Phone 8.1's Cortana digital assistant her brains and her voice, the Nanabot is intended more for play than for organizing your calendar.

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WowWee is back, and it has a tiny robot pal to pitch here at CES, a Bluetooth-controlled balancing two-wheeler. The 'bot can either be moved around by using an iOS app as a controller, or put into one of a number of game or entertainment modes, such as dancing to music stored on the iPhone, or even following your hand around.

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Robotics company WowWee has outed its latest domestic 'bot offering, and they've looked to Wall-E for their inspiration.  The WowWee Roboscooper is a six-wheeled remote-controlled robot with a big set of grabbing hands that can pick up objects and deposit them in the cargo bay at the back.

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WowWee's Rovio has already seen several DIY remote control hacks - whether it's from your Android phone or via an E Ink board - but this is perhaps the best yet.  Robert Oschler has hooked up an Emotiv Epoq EEG headset allowing him (with some nifty software in-between) to control Rovio using thoughts, facial gestures and head movements.

Video demo after the cut

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We're not sure what it is about geeks, sewing kits and the holiday season, but bizarre DIY efforts seem to proliferate at this time of the year.  Over at Recombu they're sharing a stuffed Android doll tutorial, which shows you how to make your very own smartphone desk-stand in the shape of the Android logo, while an enterprising modder over at RoboCommunity has whipped up a dog-costume for his WowWee Rovio.

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The image isn’t especially clear, we know, but you’re looking at a WowWee Rovio robot webcam being remotely operated by a flexible E Ink controller.  It’s the handiwork of the ASU Flexible Display Center, who took E Ink’s AM300 development kit and used it for two-way communication with the Rovio.  Not only can the robot be navigated, its camera feed is shown on the E Ink panel.

Video demo after the cut

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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

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We know this looks like a plastic trashcan full of junk electronics, but it’s actually the inside of WowWee’s Rovio robot webcam just after he’s been given a remote-control mod.  Obviously blind to the dangers of granting your robot power over high-voltage appliances, RoboCommunity member Thel has hacked together a system whereby he can switch devices on and off at the mains using Rovio.

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While we’d love to say this is SlashGear’s new intern, in actual fact it’s a shot from the first review we’ve seen of WowWee’s RoboRover.  Announced at the tail-end of September, the RoboRover is WowWee’s first robot to use tank-track style locomotion and, according to RoboCommunity member GWJax, they – together with the IR-based obstacle avoidance system – do a pretty decent job.

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Earlier this month we were lamenting the dearth of consumer robotics in 2009, and it seems someone at WowWee has heard our cries.  The company has released preview information of two upcoming ‘bots, the WowWee Roborover (left) and the WowWee Joebot (right), both with remote-control functionality as well as autonomous modes.

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Since we're big geeks here at SlashGear, we're allowed to get unduly excited at the first inklings of WowWee's upcoming holiday range.  The toy and robotics company has revealed their latest ad campaigns for their new remote-controlled gadgets, including an update on the FlyTech Dragonfly, the CrashFX plane we saw back in April and a mini UFO with LED messaging.

Video demos after the cut

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