Toy fairs in America feature robots

Citation

(2001), "Toy fairs in America feature robots", Industrial Robot, Vol. 28 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/ir.2001.04928eab.003

Toy fairs in America feature robots

Toy fairs in America feature robots

Keywords: Robots, Toys, Toy industry

At the annual toy fair in New York City, the latest robots were everywhere – from 12in. "bots slithering between amazed customers' feet and legs to two-legged 'tot-bots"' moving from floor to floor along exhibition corridors. At a recent "Demo 2001" computer industry show, the acknowledged show-stealer was the "Phoenix", an eight-wheel mechanical watchdog designed to patrol an empty house, following its cam nose, and send live video back to the owner's Web site, according to iRobot's co-founder, Helen Greiner.

Show visitors remembered the recent past: to when Furby, a furry noisemaker, was received with sales to 40 million units per canine, or the more recent Aibo, the $1,500 dog which to date has sold 40 million units, domestically and overseas. Time magazine writes of the "huge plus factor, the rapidly plunging prices, not just for toy robots, still a novelty, but for chips, computers, motors, and sensors as well".

A Chicago-based enterprise, Tiger Electronics, Inc., leads the pack with over two dozen robotic toys demonstrating in its space: motorised sea turtles alongside jellyfish, and other fish in different varieties. Not far from the tanks are miniature mice with unique vocal ranges, low squeaks to high-pitched squeals. On display as well is the three-foot long "Alternative Raptor" prototype, so alive it reacts when a visitor pulls its tail.

Toy fair viewers believed that what distinguishes these on show at its booths are robots of recent vintage with their response to the environment, not just dumbly to the whims of their masters. Noteworthy are Hasbro's BIO bugs which send out radio and infrared signals to "sense who or what is in the environs". But touch its antenna with any hostile entry and the BIO bug may start a fight, gaining "in power and confidence", says their Hasbro creator, Richard Yanofsky, "with each victory, but if the bug feels outclassed in a struggle then watch it dart off, seeking union with fellow bugs in the vicinity". "BIO bugs", he smiles with satisfaction, "are just about as brainy as cockroaches."

Electronic experts' claims such as that robot mice can wrestle like Japan's traditional sumoka – sumo-style wrestling, pushing, shoving if not grappling with appropriate slaps and squawks, may seem fantastic. But customers are greedy, fair exhibitors complain. They demand more action from the "fat boy" wrestlers. They learned disappointment early when the Rob Chi toyline of robot cats, birds and dogs do little to excite but mew and chirp and lightly bark.

Of greater importance is the work of Proctor & Gamble, products that can perform really useful labour: robotic lawnmowers, automated floor cleaners, vacuum cleaners, in a price range of $700 to $2,000 as Developed Convenience Companions. And a $2,000 industrial-strength model, resembling a plastic unit on wheels, was developed by Proctor & Gamble, and is able to monitor a house for intruders and keep an eye on elderly relatives when the owner is absent.

Here is a rundown on what is in prospect from this autumn: $30 playmates for children, telling space adventure stories; a 13in. robot baby, from Tiger Electronics, that will crawl, and when cuddled, coo, mumble and gurgle; "insecto-bots", from August, will be "creepy-crawls that react to each other, to noise and light". A "smarty cat" that somersaults, stands on its head, tumbles and performs other gymnastics exercises, and another from Tiger Electronics, a "dino" billed as "both quite naughty and very nice" and a "i-cybie", a plastic pup that walks and trots, barks and replies to voice-commands, also from Tiger Electronics. Precocious pre-school kids will enjoy a plaything-dog from ToyMax which, from a stomach button touch will alternate spinning tricks and talking. For adults there will be a Swedish-designed Husqvanna Company machine that will trim its owners' grass lawn while they relax in the summer sun "with a tall iced beverage". There is a Dyson's Dirt-Sucker, "with a mind of its own". Its price tag of $2,500 buys a machine with 70 sensors and three off/on board computers. And the i-Robot roving, remote watchdog relays video images and sound to any Web browser, already on sale for $2,000. All these are utilitarian, household functioning.