EvoSapien.com

[roschler]

You can find the current list of features for the Roboreptile robot here:

http://www.robotsrule.com/html/roboreptile.php

This is the new robot shown by WowWee toys at the recent 2006 Consumer Electronics Show.

It is not available yet and won't be until Christmas of 2006!

[Demondes]

Even though you propably don´t understand swedish, I found pic of Roboreptile from swedish site: http://www.prylguiden.se/art1489.aspx

check it out, it looks kinda funny, but swift Can't wait to hear more of this robot ^_^

EDIT: I added that pic to my personal gallery so that anyone can see if that site doesn't load or something.
http://www.roboburp.com/mxBB2/index.php?page=1&smartor_mode=album_showpage&pic_id=77

[roschler]

Demondes,

Thanks for the tip! That robot is going to be one hell of a mystery to try and unravel!

[Mocha]

That thing's awsome! I wonder how much it's going to cost! O.O Probably a fortune! (well, not really but you get the idea) Better start saving now for it.

[Mocha]

Roboreptile @ http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1906247,00.asp.

You'll have to scroll down a bit to see it, so I'll post the info here.
"Smaller, Agile Roboreptile
Robosapien RS Media will be joined sometime in 2006 by a new Roborepitile. Similar in style and function to the popular Roboraptor, Roboreptile is roughly half its size and far more mobile. In the demonstrations we saw, the prototype turned around, moved quickly from place-to-place, and can hop and jump. Like other WowWee robots, Roboreptile will include audio, visual, and touch sensitivity. The robot will ship with its own toy to chase around, but will not have a remote control. WowWee is trying to phase out remotes for future robots, according to company execs. As a result, Roboreptile will be completely autonomous and somewhat aggressive. So much so that it will come with a cowl for its head, designed to help end users calm it down."
There's also a pic on that website.
http://www.pcmag.com/slideshow_viewer/0,1205,l=&s=26819&a=168617&po=7,00.asp

EDIT: I've uploaded this pic onto my personal gallery at http://www.roboburp.com/mxBB2/index.php?page=1&smartor_mode=album_showpage&pic_id=78. Enjoy!

EDIT Part 2(LOL): I've found out that Roboreptile does infact have a remote, but will still mainly be autonomous. I'll add the pic of it to my gallery, but until then here's the link to it. http://www.pcmag.com/slideshow_viewer/0,1205,l=&s=26819&a=168617&po=8,00.asp

Final EDIT: Here's the pic uploaded onto my own gallery. http://www.roboburp.com/mxBB2/index.php?page=1&smartor_mode=album_showpage&pic_id=79

[roschler]

Excellent info Mocha!

[Mocha]

Thanks! If you'll need any more info in the future, just google "Roboreptile". That's what I did for the info.

[Demondes]

From source:

"The Roboreptile is billed as being able to run at high speeds (how fast?) on four legs and has an expanded set of moods and behaviors. The release schedule is June with a target price of $130 USD – more than the Robopet and Roboraptor prices, but still reasonable since the retailers will definitely discount it as low as $100 for special promotions."

"So much so that it will come with a cowl for its head, designed to help end users calm it down."

http://www.evosapien.com/robosapien-hack/knitsu/html/2006_wow_wee.html

I can imagine me chasing that little son of ***** around my livingroom trying to put a cowl to his head

[roschler]

[Iguana]

This is very exciting news. Now I really regret not going to CES (which is within an easy day's driving distance).

I'm very glad that WowWee decided to bring out a successor to the Roboraptor. I'm even more thrilled that its a reptile and appropriately named so. Herpetology was always a hobby throughout high school and college for me.

What do you guys think of the looks? I was initially dissapointed when I read it was 1/2 the size of Roboraptor, but I guess they had to tone down size for increased agility. Those highly developed legs and arms look like they could propel the Roboreptile to jump, but I read somewhere that it can even run on its hind legs . I guess WowWee listened to the major complaints regarding the legs on the Roboraptor and decided to go overboard and make them really developed now. Even the arms are movable! YES! That neck looks extremely long and rigid. I'm guessing that it can move just like the roboraptor neck. And the same with the tail, which looks like its gone extreme (from 7 segments on the Roboraptor to 13-15 segments on the roboreptile). Different websites have differnet pictures of the prototype - some with that purple head dome and some with a solid black one. I think the black one looks better IMHO just becuase it matches the color theme. I think the picture Demondes posted looks the best. It really captures the agility and potential nimbleness.

Where are those touch sensors? Any guesses? Those black patches on the back, the particularily large ones, may be sensors...which really begs the question...are we dealing with sensors or buttons this time around?

And then there is the idea of the cowl. That is the only thing that bothers me. It's giving reptiles everywhere a bad name! It's implying that reptiles are naturally aggressive and not friendly. Also, since somewhere on the web it states that the roboreptile will run away if approached from behind, it also implies reptiles are cowardly. Ok ok...that's my only gripe.

I don't know how children will feel if the roboreptile is naturally aggressive. I imagine the fourth personality mode "ferocious" will yield really fun moments, but the lack of a "friendly" mode, which was polled here and turned out to be the most popular mode, may be an issue. "Tame" is not the same as "friendly" but we'll have to see. I think the toy may just be maturing and geared towards older audiences. But then again, not everyone wants a cantankerous reptile for a pet 24/7.

Several pictures from CES seem to show the "prey" toy and the cowl. The toy looks like weird alien pod with wheels. Maybe it will move and acutually force the roboreptile to give chase. That cowl looks like a grey helmet, almost like armor.

The nose looks like it has two IR sensors. Did anyone spot any potential sensors located elsewhere? I woudl like to see some more advanced IR sensors, like the edge sensor they have on Robopet, and maybe even color sensors like on Robosapien V2. The roboraptor has enough to get by and to avoid objects, but having an array of sensors will provide a bigger picture so to speak and may be necessary if the roboreptile is to hunt its prey across the room (as some website noted).

Ahh...cool looking claws on both paws and feet! Since it looks so agile, I wonder if it can right itself if it falls over. The P-bot can, perhaps this one can as well.

To have a remote control or to not have one? That is my question. Wouldn't it be kinda silly if they didn't include a remote control? Say for instance, the roboreptile is about to walk off a cliff (or desk), you'd be able to save it by pressing "STOP" on the remote. But if you didn't have that, then I guess you can wave goodbye! But the prospect of having to change the roboreptiles moods without a remote control seems exciting. That would invovle more programming, like signals that indicate good or bad.

Does anyone who looked at early prototypes of the first roboraptor recall if the prototype was any different than the final product? If so, then who knows what to expect come June or July.

Considering its size, it may just run on AA batteries again. With that kind of power, how fast can it really run? Leave it to WowWee to impress with the newer generation. I hope this sucessor will be as big of a leap (pun intended) as the robosapien V2 was. But considering its almost equal price point, I have some doubts. I guess their intentions were to add affordable improvements while keeping the price point nearly equal. Would that canabalize sales of Roboraptor? Or maybe they'll just lower the price on the raptor to avoid conflict. Nevertheless, improvements are good and plenty, and I'll definately be getting one as soon as it comes out.

[Iguana]

Hmm, I just read somewhere else that the running gait will use all four feet and that a slower gait will use the two hind legs? It's all speculation right now .

I was just thinking about the roboreptile jumping. The remote control appears to have a center button marked with the word "Jump". If it can jump, then a potential corequisite may be some more advanced IR sensors than the ones found on Roboraptor. These sensors may be necessary to avoid jumping off a table edge or into an object higher than the roboreptile.

[Iguana]

Well, I keep Googling "roboreptile" to see if I can find new stuff . And now after looking the same pictures over and over again, I started to notice the design of the rear feet. The inner toe claw is larger than the outer one and raised up. This is almost reminiscent of Jurassic Park raptors. I'm wondering why they put this on the roboreptile and not on the roboraptor. Any thoughts?

My first reaction is that it somehow aids in the walking and running gaits. I really hope this roboreptile walks in a realistic fluid way, the way an actual quadruped moves. Preferrably no shuffling or teettering from side to side. Keeping fingers crossed that the second generation really advances in this area.

Also, why do you guys suppose they changed the slogan from "a fusion of technology and personality" to "a fusion of tecnology and individuality"?

[Iguana]

The picture posted by Demondes shows the roboreptile with the rear feet with two small black toes touching the ground. They look very even. On Knitsu 's website, the pictures taken from CES '06, seem to show that the demo prototype they had acutally had 3 toes on the rear feet. Two small black ones and one larger one that was curved up. I guess they may still be deciding on the final design.

Perhaps the toes are articulatable (manually) or they are under the robot's control. That would be awesome if it was the latter case, meaning that different configurations yield different walking speeds and potential gaits/stances. Wouldn't that be interesting if the toe claw was down during "tame" mode and up during "predatory"? Maybe that's too much attention to detail .


Has anyone been able to find some video? That link to the CNN.com video doesn't seem to be working anymore.

[Iguana]

Ok, I got that link to work.
The roboreptile looks downright cool in the video. Oddly enough, it sounds like a bird with that chirping noise. Fortunately, that very rigid looking neck does bend and snap really fast and so does that tail. The head can move up and down and the mouth seems to be able to open up pretty wide. Overall, it seems really agile. Too bad that guy from PC Mag got all freaked out and had to turn it off in a jiffy.

Anyone notice that the upper most leg segment (the two hind legs that is) also the largest, never seem to move? Could they be anchored to the body frame and only the bottom two segments of the leg are actually movable?

[Wheels]