WowWee took the wraps off a range of new entertainment robots at CES today, including the Rovio with GPS and Wi-Fi connectivity.
WowWee's new line of entertainment robots ranges from a Wi-Fi enabled robotic webcam to an indoor flying machine with onboard navigation. The Rovio robot (image gallery, hands-on impressions) is a Wi-Fi enabled robotic webcam that moves in all directions and can be controlled remotely using any web accessible device including a cell phone, PC or video game console.
Through a built-in camera that streams video and audio, users can view and interact with Rovio's environment, surveying their home or office remotely through streaming video and audio transmitted via the Rovio robot. The robot is also the first to feature the NorthStar smart navigation and positioning system. Working like a micro-GPS system, the NorthStar system enables the Rovio robot to know where it is, locate the position of other objects, and navigate from place to place.
WowWee is also introducing the latest in robotic companionship with Mr. Personality, an interactive robot that excudes personality in everything he does and says. The Mr. Personality robot features a full-color LCD screen that displays his personality with animated and synchronized facial features and new personalities can be downloaded and transferred via USB or media card. Through infrared and audio sensors, the robot interacts with his environment and entertains his human companion with jokes, conversations, games and daily fortunes found in various play modes.
Another new WowWee robot is called Tribot (image gallery), which is a next-generation Robosapien robot. A three-wheeled personality-packed companion, the Tribot robot is equipped with different play modes for hours of entertainment - joke telling, story sequences, games and more. The Tribot features an omni-directional motion controlled by a tilt sensor remote control.
The FemiSapien robot, a humanoid interactive friend with distinctly fluid movements, features elegant gestures and dance moves controlled by her 4-way joystick hands. The FemiSapien also speaks her own language of emotive sounds, and responds to users' gestures, touch and sound.
WowWee has also breathed life into a series of mischievious robotic characters named Chatterbot and Wrex the Dawg. Chatterbot robots are animated computer accessories that provide entertainment with jokes, dialogue and comments about the user's virtual life. These collectible figurines connect to a PC or Mac via USB cable, enabling them to launch humorous quips and comments based on the user's e-mail, calendar, applications, web browsing and instant messaging activity. Wrex the Dawg is a junkyard dog, built from discarded mechanical and electrical parts, in dire need of re-programming. The robotic dog has three desires and distinct moods - happy, angry and crazy - that change like a real dog, and can be re-programmed to behave like a cat or perform wild actions.
The WowWee RoboRemote controller is also new, designed to be used with any robot in the WowWee product line controlled by IR sensors.
The WowWee FlyTech line of aeronautical products will also expand in 2008, with FlyTech BladeStar (image gallery, hands-on impressions), an indoor machine with unique sensor detection. WowWee claims it to be the first flying toy with sensor-based navigation, which enables it to glide itself through the air with two wings that spin with helicopter-like movement. Built-in infrared sensors allow the indoor flyer to detect and avoid obstacles.
WowWee will also release various baby animals in its new Alive series of robots (image gallery), as well as a range of Fun robots including Bug-Bots that move and act like real bugs. Equipped with either small wheels or tread, each Bug-Bot insect has different locomotion and special skills.
All the new WowWee robots will be available in stores later in 2008.
Philip Berne, Matthew Ruiz, Edward Distel and Sindre Lia contribute to the CES 2008 coverage.
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