10 years ago, our ideas of toys are cars, collectible cards or the latest Sega game that will come out of the market. PlayStation is still for the rich and famous and we just let ourselves drool at this highly sophisticated gaming console. Even though in its own right PS has still some edges, we now have gaming consoles that don’t only react to trigger but to our movements at the same time (e.g. Wii Sports).
But this is not about gaming consoles, the toys of the past may not have been long forgotten but they will certainly look Neanderthal compared to the toys that are being released today. Let’s take a look at two of some of the revolutionary toys that have swept the market and the forehead of today’s parents. Be warned: these toys can be addictive not only for the kids but to adults as well.
First Stop: RoboSapien. RoboSapien is NEVER your average robot. Released in 2005, RoboSapien has been the object of affection for adults and kids. Note that we placed adults first. Adults are so into this toy that some buyers don’t just do it for their kids. They buy it for their own entertainment. The toy was designed by Mark Tilden – a well known robotics physicist who was hired by the toy company solely for developing this toy. The result is RoboSapien V1. Even the version one has already complex materials and controls, enabling full interaction between the owner and the toy. The remote control is like a complex Xbox control and the signal is through infrared instead of the customary radio frequency. But the company didn’t stop there. They released RoboSapien V2. If you are one of the individuals who happen to have V1, you better go out and get a V2. This robot now has 21 buttons – more than any consoles combined and can be programmed for various movements. It even has companions: RoboRaptor, a T-Rex that can move independently and RoboPet a dog like robot. The other robots can take commands from RoboSapien V2. Talk about an army of robots.
Next Stop: Lego Mindstorm. We all know Lego is a company that sells plastic blocks for helping our kids be very creative. With a few blocks, they could create a house, a car, a person, a village or even a city if there are enough blocks. But Lego didn’t stop there, the released Mindstorm and with the latest release last July 2006, it has become a dream come true not only for Lego fans but persons who are interested in robotics. The best part of this is that the robots can be programmed even by an eight year old, and the kid doesn’t even have to be a nerd to do that although more complicated commands really need a near nerd like ability. The kit will have a processing box, and other cables and parts are sold separately. With enough budget and programming skills, you can have a robot that can beat RoboSapien in any competition.
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