WowWee is adding a number of robotic products to its lineup in 2008. Chief among them is The Rovio, a Wi-Fi enabled robotic Web cam that can be controlled remotely using any Web-accessible device including a cellphone, PC or video game console. The Robvio’s built-in Web cam streams video and audio and uses the NorthStar smart navigation system to know where it is, locate the position of other objects and navigate from place to place.
Wowwee is also introducing Mr. Personality, an interactive robot that displays its personality via animated and synchronized facial expressions on a full-color LCD screen. It is said to feature infrared and audio sensors to allows it to interact with its environment and offer jokes, games and daily fortunes. New personalities can be downloaded and transferred to the robot via USB or media card.
The company is adding two new items to its RoboSapien line, Tribot and FemiSapien. The three-wheeled Tribot features a variety of play modes for joke telling, story sequences, games and more. FemiSapien was described by the company as “a sophisticated humanoid interactive friend with distinctly fluid movements.” Controlled by 4-way joystick hands, the robot is said to offer “elegant gestures and dance moves,” as well was infrared, audio and tilt sensers to allow the dance moves to be synchronized to music.
Other notable introductions from the company include the revitalized Chatterbox and Wrex the Dawg PC accessories; the new RoboRemote which can be used with any WowWee product controlled by IR sensors; and The FlyTech Bladestar. WowWee is also unveiling two new lines: WowWee Alive, featuring animatronic animals, and Bug-Bots “miniature insects that move and act like real bugs.”
