Robots are taking over the world! Ok, not really – yet. They are coming one step closer though, just take a look at the Practice Partner 10 Robot from Home Leisure Direct. This table tennis robot can’t play an entire game with you, but it can help you perfect your serve. You can set them to randomly play to anywhere on the table, or keep on playing exactly the same shot, same spin or serving towards exactly the same place. It has a speed of 25-80 balls per minute. Robots aren’t cheap, so you’ll have to pay £542.47 (approximately $892.95 US) for this convenience.

Filed in categories: Fitness, Sports, News

Tagged: Ping Pong, Robots, Sports

No Friends? Practice Ping Pong with a Robot originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 29, 2011 at 12:30 pm.

I’m crazy about gadgets, robots and toys….  so when Robonica put all three together and came up with the Roboni-i Robotic Gaming System, I had to have a closer look!

It’s the world’s first programmable gaming robot.  Not only does it look cool, it has 360º movement and with 4 processors on board, aswell as 16 sensors, Roboni-i can perform tricks, navigate around obstacles by itself and interact with its environment.

Clever artificial intelligence means that it can react to its surroundings and other Roboni-i units. Get a bunch together and get them to participate in team games.  It does come pre-loaded with games to play on your own, or you plug in the remote control into your PC and download more!

And, if it gets out of hand users can customise almost every aspect of its behaviour patterns from a PC.  The remote control even displays its happiness levels.

The Roboni-i is now available both in the U.S. and Europe for around £130 ($180).

Filed in categories: Geek Toys, News

Tagged: Robots, Spotlight Gadgets

Interactive Gameplay Meets Real World Robotics originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 1, 2010 at 7:43 pm.

Check out this cute little robot keychain from TOKYObay. This one is the DJ. He is only 1.5″ tall, functions as an analog clock on a keyring and has moveable arms. He comes in gift packaging and a variety of colors. I reviewed one of the TOKYObay robot desk clocks last year and am still using it. You can grab this little guy for $16. It would make a really cute stocking stuffer.

Filed in categories: News, Watches and Clocks

Tagged: Robots, Spotlight Gadgets, Watches and Clocks

New TOKYObay Tokibot mini robots originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 7, 2009 at 6:03 pm.

Review of the Tomy i-Sobot

According to the Tomy i-Sobot website, this is the world’s smallest humanoid robot in production, as per Guiness World Records.  With 17 servos and only 6-1/2″ high, it could be.

And I should be one to talk about the “smallest”.  In 2001 I participated in TLC’s “Robotica” (Wikipedia link), a robot combat show, in Season 3. (That’s me on the right with the dumb grin on my face).  The robot we built, “Nemo’s Nemesis” weighed in at a hefty 200 lbs or more, and four feet across.  We maxed out the size restrictions, thinking it would give us an edge.  (It did not.)

So let’s look at something much, much smaller!

The i-Sobot stands a mere 6-1/2 inches tall.  The articulated joints give the i-Sobot an incredible range of motion.  And, it’s fun to pose.

The i-Sobot requires 3xAAA batteries, and Tomy has included rechargeable NiMH Sanyo Eneloop batteries.  The remote takes AA batteries (not included).  Tomy says it should run for 60 minutes under normal use.

When you power it on, the i-Sobot stands upright.  A green “eye” lights up.  A blue side-light on the side of the head can be turned on and off separately.

There are two switches on the back.  One is for power, the other is a channel selector.  The remote control is infrared, and the IR sensor is on the robot’s shoulder.

The remote itself is smallish.  Quite suitable for the recommended ages 10+ range.  There are two joysticks, a bunch of buttons, and an LCD display in the center.

I thought the i-Sobot would be a lot more fun to play with, but I quickly hit a very steep learning curve.  Tomy included a large cheat-sheet, double-sided, with the pre-programmed commands for impatient kids like me.  The number of combinations are bewildering.  I didn’t even bother trying to learn how to program.

Now let’s take a look at the i-Sobot in action!

Movie: i-Sobot startup sequence (MOV)

Movie: i-Sobot basic moves

Movie: i-Sobot exercise

Movie: i-Sobot air guitar

Movie: i-Sobot voice control

The i-Sobot is fun… but I quickly got bored with it after a few minutes, mostly because I got tired of look at the reference card, poking in commands, and being frustrated I couldn’t pick anything up with the fingers- which I did not realize are not remote controllable.  I did have a hoot posing the i-Sobot going on a rampage, however!

Filed in categories: Geek Toys, Kid Gadgets

Tagged: Robots, toys

Tomy i-Sobot: Attack of the 6-1/2″ Robot originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 7, 2009 at 10:30 am.