Update: Robo Pets

Robo Pets can be cuddly, cool, practical, and even come as open source.

Trend Description:
Artificially intelligent robots aren’t the stuff of science fiction anymore — they’re becoming increasingly affordable for the average consumer. Several new lines of robo products are now on the market, some which appeal to our inner nerds, others which are even quite practical. Please also read our previous posting about Robo Pets.

Cases:

WowWee Alive Pets
WowWee continues its cuddly robo-line with a cute lion cub, featuring realistic fur, animated face, and several life-like reactions like going limp when picked up by the scruff of the neck and falling asleep when left alone for five minutes. WoWee also plans to release a white tiger cub, a panda cub, and a polar bear cub. The company already offers remote-controlled chimpanzee and Elvis busts that are more creepy than cuddly. WowWee also has a line of “Bug Bots,” which behave like real bugs — their touch sensors enable them to interact as a swarm.

Tux Droid
The $99 robot version of the Linux mascot flaps its wings, dances, spins, and flashes its lights, using a motion sensor to react to its environment. The robot can also read your email, RSS news feeds, and play your favorite music. the Tux Droid gets its information via a USB transmitter, which looks like a fish. The robot can also function as a VOIP phone, wireless speaker, and an alarm clock. The open source technology allows users to program their new smart companion to do whatever they need it to do.

Lego Mindstorms NXT
Lego Mindstorms lets you build your own robot. The kit comes with a variety of sensors (touch, sound, light, ultrasonic) which allow the robot you create to react to its environment. It also comes with easy-to-use drag and drop software which enables Mindstorms-builders to program their NXT. More advanced features are the NXT’treme open source firmware, a wireless Bluetooth node, and remote control options.

Trend Impact:
Though these new artificially intelligent robots evoke Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and can seem a little creepy, robot makers are determined to make them less scary and more useful. With technology becoming more affordable, there are many new gadgets and toys that are beginning to appeal to average consumers. The new robots’ open source programming will let consumers drive the development of new interesting robotic features. Robots aren’t merely the stuff of Isaac Asimov novels anymore, they’re viable products that are making their ways into people’s homes.

WowWee
WowWee store
Tux Droid
Lego Mindstorms NXT

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