During the 1980’s there was a rise in the popularity of the robot toy as animated cartoons swept across the world. The television audiences grew to massive proportions and so did the specifically made robot toy range that represent the characters. This era saw the massive expansion of the industry and new manufacturing methods were introduced. These toys have become iconic symbols of society’s fascination with robotics. They are also a rising symbol of our technological triumphs. Transformers are still one of the most highly sort after robot toy today.
The Robosapien is a humanoid robot toy that was designed by Mark Tilden and produced by Wow Wee. It has an impressive set of features that include 67 actions ranging from burping to karate. Commands are issued through either infrared remote control or by a personal computer that is equipped with an infrared transmitter. It can be strung together in sequences that are associated with the various sensors, producing appropriate (or inappropriate) reactions. The Robosapien has won numerous awards and is appealing to both children and adults alike. It’s easy to modify, making it popular with adult robot toy enthusiasts. Two Robosapien teams recently played an interactive game of football!
Robotic toys are used in many ways and can even be used to remind people to take there medication. The ANTY project is a research project at Vrije University in Brussels, and has developed a robot toy range for hospitalised children, called Probo and Genibo. Probo isn’t just a robot toy, it’s intelligent, cuddly and has a personality of its own. It uses visual sensors and audio and touch for interaction by means of artificial intelligence so can understand and express emotions. Genibo, an autonomous robot toy pet, recognises voice commands, takes photographs and transmits real time video. It acts freely and expresses its love to towards its owner.
Pleo is the latest robot toy dinosaur and was developed by Caleb Chung, the co creator of the furry toy robot that was so popular in the late 1990s. The Furby, spoke its own gibberish but learned to use words that it was exposed to. Pleo, is the next step in the evolution of this robot toy that can exhibit social behaviours and learn from experience. It can nuzzle the owner in displays of affection, crouch and wag its tail or let out plaintive cries. The emotions include sorrow and anger and its behaviour and real life movements really do evoke the image of loved pets rather than a robot toy.
There are many possibilities for creative people to build a robot toy. A simple wheel base, battery and a compatible receiver/controller will enable you to build a basic robot toy. Special robot toy kits are manufactured by several companies and can consist of structural/mechanical elements, sensors, motors and a controller board providing an opportunity to build from scratch.