CES 2009: Wild Planet Shows Electronics For Kids

By Staff -- TWICE, January 9, 2009

LAS VEGAS — Wild Planet will be showing several electronic products for children during International CES at booth 72501 at the Sands.

Animal Scramble, available in September, is designed for preschoolers (ages 3 to 5). It relies on RFID to promote listening, memory and motor skills, as well as physical activity. Animal Scramble practices sharing and other positive social behaviors.

The game consists of an electronic tagger and a selection of targets. The tagger plays prerecorded music and calls out which targets kids should run to and strike next. It tracks the amount of time taken to complete each course.

The tagger uses RFID to recognize the targets, which can be set up side-by-side, or spread out across the length of a football field. There is no limit to the distance between targets. Farther targets result in more running and exercise. The Animal Scramble tagger looks like a giraffe and its targets resemble cartoon animals: a monkey, parrot, tiger and elephant. When the tagger is placed over the correct target, the circuit is complete and the players advance.

It has a suggested retail of $19.99 to $24.99.

Wild Planet will also be introducing a spy video vehicle at CES. The Spy Video ATV-360 will be the first remote-controlled Spy Gear video car to offer audio transmission, full-circle spin control and tank tracks, according to the company. It will have a $99 suggested retail and will ship in September.

This upgraded ATV lets secret agents inspect enemy territory from the safety of their own spy headquarters. They can scope out a room and hear if anyone is coming from up to 75 feet away. The new track-based movement system traverses treacherous landscapes such as laundry-strewn bedroom floors and foyers filled with books and backpacks. The vehicle climbs over obstacles and wirelessly transmits real-time video and audio back to the driver.

The ATV-360 sends images to a private LCD lens mounted to a pair of lightweight frames, and sound is heard through a single ear bud. Drivers confirm the coast is clear by pushing a button on the remote control to perform a 360-degree room scan. Full-circle turns offer early detection of renegade spies approaching from any direction.