CES 2008: WowWee launches new range of robots

More robots that plan to take over Christmas 2009

6 January 2008 1:09 GMT / By Stuart Miles

Wow Wee have announced its latest range of robots at CES in Las Vegas.

The new models include a Wi-Fi-enabled robotic webcam to an indoor flying machine with onboard navigation.

The Rovio robot is a Wi-Fi-enabled robotic webcam that moves in all directions and can be controlled remotely using any web accessible device including a mobile phone, PC or video game console.

According to WowWee, 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 Rovio robot is also the first to feature the NorthStar smart navigation and positioning system, which represents a major breakthrough in robotics. Supposedly 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 with pinpoint accuracy, entirely under its own control.

WowWee Robotics has also launched Mr. Personality, an interactive robot that features a full-colour LCD screen that displays his personality with animated and synchronized facial features.

New personalities that can be downloaded and transferred to Mr. Personality via USB or media card.

Then there is Tribot, the next generation of WowWee's Robosapien robot.

A three-wheeled robot, the bot is equipped with different play modes, comes with animated eyebrows and has an omni-directional motion easily controlled by a tilt sensor remote control.

The FemiSapien robot will be the women friendly variant that promises to feature elegant gestures and dance moves all controlled only by her 4-way joystick hands.

She also features infrared, audio, and tilt sensors that enable her to synchronize her dance moves to music.

The FemiSapien robot even speaks her own language of emotive sounds - and responds to users' gestures, touch and sound.

WowWee Robotics has also launched a series of "mischievous" robotic characters named Chatterbot and Wrex the Dawg.

These figurines connect to a PC or Mac via USB cable, enabling them to launch humorous quips and comments based on the user's email, calendar, applications, web browsing, and instant messaging activity.

In an attempt to control all of these new devices, the company has also launched the WowWee RoboRemote controller.

Designed to be used with any robot in the WowWee product line controlled by IR sensors the unit will allow users to program and assign a control function to a button, and then use it to direct one of the companies robots.

The RoboRemote controller software also allows users to create numerous sequences of actions that can be stored directly onto the remote controller.

Finally, the company has launched the FlyTech Bladestar, a robotic helicopter that sports sensors to help it navigate around your living room.