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Robosapien

The Robosapien is a humanoid (biomorphic) robot toy produced by the Wow Wee company and available to buy from many stores and online retailers. It is described in the marketing as "A fusion of technology and personality". As of the beginning of 2005 over 1.5 million had been sold - not quite a robot invasion but getting close!

The Robosapien was designed by Mark Tilden and has an impressive set of features. As well as walking (more difficult than it sounds for a robot!) it can perform some 67 actions ranging from kung-fu to belching. Commands can be issued via the (somewhat intimidating) remote control and strung together in sequences. These sequences can be associated with the robot's various sensors to produce appropriate (or inappropriate!) reactions.

The Robosapien has won numerous awards, including the National Parenting Center 2004 Seal of Approval, German Toy Association Toy of the Year and Best Cutting Edge Toy 2004.

Despite the marketing hype, the Robosapien personality "out of the box" is limited. The main appeal comes from programming rather than letting it "run free". It's a great toy for kids however anyone expecting a truly autonomous robot will probably be disappointed.

What has probably made the Robosapien so popular with adult robot fans is the (relative) ease with which it can be modified. It is designed to be "hacked" in various ways and modified Robosapiens have been used for many purposes. For instance, in 2005 two teams of modified Robosapiens played each other in a football match!

The Robosapien V2 is an enhanced model with additional features.

External Links:
Wow Wee

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