Product Showcase: Robots

By Karyn M. Peterson -- Playthings, 11/11/2008 2:12:00 PM

This week’s Product Showcase features robot toys from Fisher-Price, Hog Wild, Innovation First, Thinkway Toys and Tomy.


 
Prehistoric Pet
Spike, the Ultra Dinosaur ($139.99)—new from the Imaginext line for ages 3 and up—walks, growls, bites, blinks and plays four dino-themed songs, all controlled by a six-button remote. He also features scaled skin and light-up spines, and comes with two “boulders” and a bone. 
Fisher-Price, East Aurora, N.Y.
www.fisher-price.com


 
Handy Helpers
Robo Vacuum ($15.95) is a cute little desk top robot that cleans up kids’ messes. Just push the top button to activate suction and guide him around with your hand, and he’ll slide right over dry crumbs, pencil shavings and other debris. Available in black, grey or red.
Hog Wild, Portland, Ore.
www.hogwildtoys.com


 
Creepy Companion 
The HexBug Crab ($14.99) is the latest in the line of micro robotic creatures that react to light and sound. This model (in red, black, green, turquoise or indigo) seeks dark places to hide and changes direction when it hears noise. IR Inchworm and five original HexBugs also available. 
Innovation First, Greenville, Texas
www.vexrobotics.com


 
Wall-to-Wall Fun
Disney Pixar's 9-inch Wall-E U-Command Wall-E Robot ($59.99) for ages 6 and up includes an programmable infrared remote control that brings him to life with realistic eye motion, rolling treads and more than 1000 combinations of other movements, plus voice, sound and light effects. 
Thinkway Toys, Markham. Ontario.
www.thinkwaytoys.com


 
Sophisticated Servo
The remote controlled, voice-activated I-SOBOT Robot ($179.99) for ages 10 and up features more than 200 words/phrases and 200 pre-programmed movements, plus 17 movement actuators and a gyro-sensor for balance and freely moving joints that make him walk like a human.
Tomy Corporation, Santa Ana, Calif.
www.tomy-usa.com