December 14, 2007 6:47 AM
Robopanda - for a Christmas splurge
The folks at Wowwee were generous enough to send me their new Robopanda for review. It is really, really cool!
The Robopanda works without a remote, responding to voice and touch. I played with it for a while and it truly does all the unbelievable things it's supposed to do. I know my kids will be thrilled to open it on Christmas!
For those who are able to splurge on a big gift for their children - or who have grandparents who are so inclined, this is a great gift idea.
From Robopanda:
Looking for a toy that stimulates the curious mind and makes the perfect holiday gift? Check out Wowwee’s Robopanda™, a playful and talkative interactive friend with an engaging personality and bright animated eyes.Designed to work without a remote control, Robopanda is controlled directly by touch and sound. He has advanced artificial intelligence and recognizes and talks to his own toy panda (included). Through his interactive cartridge-based content, Robopanda shares stories and jokes, plays games, talks and sings songs.
Creative play with well-designed technology toys can stimulate complex thinking skills, including both inductive and deductive reasoning. Through interaction with Robopanda, children learn about animals and improve their memory and sequencing skills through a memory game.
From Amazon:
Robopanda is a fun loving robotic panda who likes to tell stories, play games, sing songs and walk, hand in paw. He has expressive eyes, audio sensors for hearing, capacitive sensors for touch, plus advanced artificial intelligence. Lifelike animation.Robopanda performs over 40 lifelike biomorphic movements: He rolls over, sits up, crawls, stands up, walks holding hands, steers around obstacles, and gives hugs. You can program a sequence of actions just by moving his limbs around.
No need for a remote control, just talk and touch.
Interactive modes.Touch a switch to pick one of three play modes. Training, teaches you how to interact with him, Friend, starts up a fun conversation that includes funny jokes and Menu, to use his sensors to choose interactive stories, songs and games.
When Robopanda tells a tale, he invites opinions to help determine the story's outcome. His internal tilt sensors and dual axis accelerometer, means he knows when you've picked him up and carried him off, and he's likely to let you know how he feels about it.
Robopanda comes with an adorable soft plush baby panda that the big guy will recognize and engage with by holding and hugging. Also comes with two cartridges of interactive entertainments.
Robopanda stands almost 20 inches tall, he weighs 12 1/2 lbs. Runs on 4 AA and 6 C batteries, order separately. Great for young kids with parents' help, for solo play, he's for ages 8 and older. 90 day warranty.
Robopanda is available at Best Buy, Target, or with free shipping, through Amazon .
Has anyone else seen a Robopanda up close and personal? What did you think?
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Comments
I haven't seen the Robopanda, but recently my son (8 yo) bought a Dino Chi at a garage sale and he loves it! It is the "old generation" of interactive toy and gets mad if you ignore it, sings to get attention, etc.
He is very careful to take care of it and has been nurturing and protective to it - these kind of toys are great for a boy to practice "Daddy" skills without a doll (which he wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole!)
Posted by: Milehimama | December 14, 2007 9:05 AM
