We all love gadgets but when you control the purse strings you've got even more control over influencing your little ones. Children love all things Robot and it is a delight to watch the expressions of wonderment sweep across their stary eyed faces as the robot performs the many fold functions, then the screaming when it breaks after three minutes.
This article is a guide to avoid the aforementioned scene. i-SOBOT from Tomy is the smallest mass produced bipedal humanoid robot in the world and measures only 16cm and weighs in at 300 grams. The robot will come with 4 modes from performing fun and quirky scenes from western battes to playing air guitar. You will be able to control the robot either via a remote control, or up to 10 voice commands.
If that was not enough i-SOBOT has around 200 spoken phrases, including I do not understand and can do special moves like Yoga or get up when it falls over. Priced at 199.99 GBP the robot will be landing on UK shores in 2009. The U-Command WALL-E is a remote control robot that can be programmed with thousands of different movement combinations and will cost 39.99 GBP.
With the ability to perform 360 degree turns, move in every direction and do a figure of eight, the poseable robot figure also features light-up eyes, real moving treads and speech functionality. For 20 GBP, the iDance WALL-E dances in a funky, bio-robotic style to any music source. After waiting for over 3 years, Pleo the Robotic Cam Camarasaurus Dinosaur from the co-creator of the Furby has finally launched in the UK.
The one-week old infant Camarasaurus from the late Jurassic period created by UGOBE pronounced You Go Be is an autonomous Life Form that advances through life stages and develops a unique personality through user interaction. Like Aibo from Sony, if you treat him well and he will become friendly and outgoing, treat him badly and he will become timid or angry.
As with most autonomous robots, Pleo wants to explore his environment and learn as he grows. Capable of actual emotions including joy, aggression, sorrow and fear, Pleo can also yawn, sigh, sniff, sniffle, snore, cough, hiccup and sneeze. Initially cautious, Pleo will walk around slowly to absorb his surroundings but may cry when frightened or scared. He will stretch when waking up and he may even stomp his foot if he gets angry. He will cost 200 GBP.
Shaun Parker is an expert on robot toys and provides impartial advice on all aspects of toys for children.
