He is robot raptor, hear him roar
Dinosaurs may be extinct, but robotics maker WowWee is bringing them out of the Cretaceous Period and into the computer era.
The Roboraptor is a fierce but cuddly interactive toy robot dinosaur that simulates a real raptor's body movements. His head and swishing tail are guided by touch and sonic sensors that detect sound and direction; infrared vision sensors help the 32-inch bipedal beast avoid obstacles.
Roboraptor's behavior changes according to his moods, which swing between hunter, cautious, playful--and every now and then, introspective. Go near the little guy's face when he's hunting and he'll get annoyed and aggressive; approach him when he's playful and enjoy his prehistoric purring and hand nuzzling. Through preprogrammed functions and direct commands sent via remote, Robo can simulate actions such as biting, walking and turning his head. And he can be commanded to walk toward a certain target with the use of laser tracking technology. The toy uses nine batteries--six AAs for the robot and three AAAs for the remote.
Roboraptor--which was developed by Mark Tilden, the former NASA scientist behind the successful kung-fu fighting robot Robosapien--is available now for about $119. It's recommended for dinosaur lovers ages 8 and up.
Leslie Katz, senior editor of CNET's Crave, covers gadgets, games, and most other digital distractions. As a co-host of the CNET News Daily Podcast, she sometimes tries to channel Terry Gross. E-mail Leslie.
