HEART OF METAL: Robotic Toys

Robotic toys are not made of flesh but bring a warmth all their own
They are clumsy, speak without feeling and do things mechanically. But robots have a way of endearing themselves to us. Whether it is a stupid robotic toy that makes some sounds or a sophisticated device that pretends it is out to kill the whole human race, they all end up amazing us. While we all yearn to have our own R2D2s, or Weebos (Flubber), we all know that this is still a little far off. What is fascinating is the thought that robots might one day serve us—or rule over us.

In a fast-paced world with little time to spend at home, robots are becoming both companions and toys for adults. Sony took a lead in 1999 by developing AIBO (Artificial Intelligence Robot). People like dogs, even robot dogs, and it was a runaway success. Sony stopped its production in March 2006. So what do you do now if you, like Robin Williams, need your own Weebo or a pet robot that will greet you, play with you, make faces at you, and best, leave you in peace when you switch it off.

A few months ago I went to a toy shop to see the latest in gizmos for kids. There I came across the WowWee robotic reptile. Begging and pleading with my wife for a new toy was useless. Though the little creature appealed to both of us, we did not want a dinasour walking around in the house, not with a two-year-old nephew around who might just get scared.

There wasn’t much I could do then. But on a trip this week, I found copies and lookalikes of the WowWee robot series, and some of the toy shops also had the original ones, now available for a price range between Rs 2,000 and Rs 5,000.

The great models that looked interesting and could become companions—no, I am not generalising this, but then more and more of us are indeed living alone now—are the Robo Sapien, the Robo Panda and the Robo Pet. Though there is a funny series called Chatter Bot also, but this was not on the shop shelves. The interesting features of the Robo Sapien are its life-mimicking movements—dancing the twist, walking, running, even saying “Oops!”. And, of course, its mood swings. Ah, now you have to get used to a machine doing this to you. For Rs 3,000, that is the max you can get out of the 67 possible functions it has. So it won’t fix you a drink or help you clean up the mess in your room.

The Robo Panda, as they call it, a talkative creature. With his “ahem”, engaging personality and bright animated eyes, you are sure to fall in love with the mechanical bear. You know it can tell you a story and sing a song with you. So the manifestation of the inner child in you, or the son you never had, is what Robo Panda can be.

The third and my favourite among them all is Robo Pet, which is similar to Sony’s AIBO. This cute little fusion of technology and personality is a dog that is extremely lovable. It is nowhere like everybody’s favourite pug on TV, but hey, you can’t get everything in life. Like a real dog, Robo Pet perform tricks for you on command: bark, whimper, growl, pant. It barks when it hears a movement, and is equipped with infrared vision that helps it to detect obstacles and avoid bumping into something.

So for about Rs 3,000 bucks, you can actually make your childhood dream of having your own R2D2 or Weebo as a pet. And they come with their plus points—they need no cleaning up, nor do they continue to annoy you when you aren’t in a playful mood. To know more, visit www.wowwee.com, or an upmarket toy store near you.

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The Above Story, was printed in The Indian Express, on Sunday, May 18, 2008