Roboraptor is a robotic toy

Toy

A toy is any object that can be used for play. Toys are associated commonly with children and pets. Playing with toys is often thought to be an enjoyable means of training the young for life in human society. Different materials are used to make toys enjoyable and cuddly to both young and old...

 invented by Mark Tilden

Mark Tilden

Mark W. Tilden is perhaps best known for his invention of BEAM robotics and the WowWee Robosapien humanoid robot. He is a robotics physicist who produces complex robotic movements from simple analog logic circuits, often with discrete electronic components, and usually without a...

 and distributed by Wow Wee

Wow Wee

WowWee Group Limited, an Optimal Group company , is a Hong Kong-based company founded by Richard and Peter Yanofsky. Initially from Canada, the two brothers moved to Hong Kong to form the company in 1982 as an independent research & development and manufacturing outfit...

 Toys International. It is the successor to the RoboSapien

RoboSapien

RoboSapien is a toy-like biomorphic robot designed by Mark Tilden and produced by WowWee toys. The RoboSapien is preprogrammed with moves, and also can be controlled by an infrared remote control included with the toy, or by either a personal computer equipped with an infrared transmitter, and an...

 robot and uses motion technology based on realistic biomechanics

Biomechanics

Biomechanics is the application of mechanical principles to biological systems, such as humans, animals, plants, organs, and cells. Perhaps one of the best definitions was provided by Herbert Hatze in 1974: "Biomechanics is the study of the structure and function of biological systems by means of...

 that give it fluid and natural movements. It has a multi-function remote control that uses infrared technology to talk to it. Unlike the original RoboSapien

RoboSapien

RoboSapien is a toy-like biomorphic robot designed by Mark Tilden and produced by WowWee toys. The RoboSapien is preprogrammed with moves, and also can be controlled by an infrared remote control included with the toy, or by either a personal computer equipped with an infrared transmitter, and an...

, the Roboraptor is capable of autonomous movement, using 3 realistic gaits.

Sensors

Roboraptor comes with several sensors that allow it to monitor and interact with its environment. It has infrared and stereo sound sensors on its head, and touch sensors on its chin, tail, and a mouth allowing for more fun and interactive play.

Autonomous behaviors

It has four different modes of behavior or moods: hunting, cautious, playful, and free-roam. In hunting mode, it will react to sharp sounds and progressively focus its attention more intensely on repeated sounds coming from the same direction. In cautious mode, it will react oppositely and move away from sounds it hears. In playful mode, it will react to sounds in a more whimsical fashion but neither approaching nor avoiding them. In free-roam mode, it will explore its environment, avoiding obstacles and stopping occasionally to listen for loud sounds to investigate. The Raptor does not walk well on carpet and cannot be programmed.

Flexible behaviors

When one touches one of Roboraptor's touch sensors, its reaction will vary depending on its mood. Touching its face when it is hunting will make it react angrily and most likely attempt to "attack" the person touching it. But if it is feeling playful, it will nuzzle the person's hand and then "attack", using its jaws.

Laser targeting

Early versions of the Roboraptor could also follow a laser-like target pointed on the ground. This could be used this to lead it around a room under direct control. However, this feature was removed from later units.

Mini Roboraptor

There is also a smaller version of Roboraptor available. However, it does not have a remote control or different modes of behavior. It is not an autonomous robot so much as it is a wind-up toy, though the smaller version does actually run on batteries. It is a smaller, cheaper, less functional Roboraptor. It walks at a single pace and it has a 'trigger' to make its mouth move, but it does not have any other sensors.

External links

• Official WowWee Roboraptor Site
• Roboraptor Tech Specs
• Roboraptor manual (PDF)
• RoboCommunity - The official WowWee Robotics user community
• Evolution of the Roboraptor