January 16, 2007 4:45 PM PST

This week in flying robotic animals

by Tim Moynihan
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It's been a banner week for flying robotic animals. Plummeting prices amid high demand signal a true buyer's market. New, exciting, and odor-free robot versions of the world's most popular and delicious animals are now available.

    RC Flying Cat Toy (Credit: HobbyTron.com)

  • RC Flying Cat Toy: HobbyTron.com's remote-controlled flying cat is still the market leader in the emerging flying-cat sector. Its robust feature set places it among the top 15 to 20 flying cats in world history. It boasts a 60-foot flight range, quick charging time, bleeding-edge safety features, and out-of-the-box compatibility with air.

    Early adopters beware: Crave analysts are still awaiting specifics on HobbyTron.com's claims that the RC Flying Cat Toy will "transform any environment into a cool fly zone," as well as the need to use three exclamation points after noting that the item is "very easy to fly!!!"

    The RC Flying Cat Toy name may be cause for confusion. It is, at its core, a flying toy shaped like a cat, rather than a flying toy for cats. Smarthome's remote-controlled cat toy is still the market leader in non-flying, remote-controlled toys for cats. It is shaped like a mouse, and its remote control is shaped like a cheeseburger.

    Special thanks to flying-cat sector analyst Brian Kulak for contributing to this report.
  • Wowwee's FlyTech Dragonfly: Who amongst us does not dream of owning a pet dragonfly? Whom?!?! Alas, dragonfly-ownership is but a pipe dream, thanks to the astronomical costs of housing, feeding, and training a real dragonfly.


    But that was merely heretofore! Hereafter, our dreams are a reality!

    Robotic stalwarts Wowwee showcased the Flytech Dragonfly at this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. One drawback: its remote control is not shaped like a cheeseburger.

    Also unveiled at CES by Wowwee: the RoboBoa robotic snake, the RoboQuad robotic robot-thing, and the WowWee Alive Elvis robotic Elvis head. None of these can fly, and it's best to keep all cheeseburger-shaped remote controls away from robot Elvis.

This week's overall grade for flying robotic animals: B+

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