i-SOBOT
item #7365 by Tomy

This is one cool little robot. And I do mean little! At just over 6" tall, i-SOBOT proves that great things do come in small packages. I haven't seen this in person yet, but from what I've seen on the official website, he is amazing. I just (October 31, 2008) received my very own i-SOBOT and I have to say that he more than lives up to the hype I've read!

From the makers of the Omnibot robot line, this fully articulated bot with seventeen individual servos and two gyroscopes can bend and move in almost any position humanly possible and keep his balance while doing it! I cannot even describe all of the movements that he is capable of. You just have to see it to fully appreciate it.

He is preprogrammed with numerous personalities and actions - enough to keep you entertained for an hour at least. That's what everything I've read has said is the length of time his rechargeable batteries will last with continuous play. I'll have to test that theory and let you know. If it's true, that would be the only major downside of i-SOBOT that I can see. Maybe you can look at that as intermission.

I will be adding more to this as I play with him, so stay tuned...

Year Released: 2007
Original Price: $300

Features:
   dual gyroscopic sensors to maintain balance
   19 total custom CPUs including
      17 custom CPUs; each controlling one of seventeen servos
      custom CPU dedicated exclusivley to voice recognition
   speaks with a vocabulary of over 200 words and phrases
   head-mounted "searchlight"
   built-in microphone and speaker
   dual-band infrared remote control w/ 16x32 LCD
   capable of storing 80 actions per memory slot w/ 3 slots (240 total actions)
   18 pre-programmed routines

I have seen on the Internet that there is supposedly an i-SOBOT CAM version available that has two added features: a 300k pixel head-mounted camera and WiFi capability. I have searched extensively and I have been unable to find this version for sale anywhere, or even mentioned on the official press releases. If you have proof of this version, by all means email me so I can update this page accordingly...

Technical Specifications:
Power Supply:
   3 x AAA rechargeable NiMH batteries (for robot)
   3 x AA batteries (for remote)

Dimensions: 6½" tall x 3¾" wide x 2½" deep
Weight: 0.75 lbs (including batteries)

RF Frequency: N/A (infrared)

Visit the Official Web Site

For even more information on this fantastic little robot, you can read this article from the Fall 2007 issue of Robot magazine, or this article from the Winter 2007 issue.