RoboRemote
item #8000 by WowWee
Okay, okay... so it's not exactly a robot, but it is the next best thing! A single remote that can control all of your WowWee robots - even the ones that haven't been created yet!
Using the included software (again with no support for the Mac users of the world!) on your Windows XP or Vista computer, you assign a sequence of actions to each button on the RoboRemote and store those actions in the remote itself. Each of the four buttons has three "shift levels" for a total of twelve actions or sequence of actions. And to make sure that this remote remains functional, you can download updates from the internet as new robots are released.
Ok, now that I have one of these little jewels (thanks to the kind folks over at RoboCommunity.com) I can discuss the down side. First of all, you cannot use this "out of the box." You have to log on to the internet to download the drivers and the interface software. Not only could WowWee not spare the extra nickel for a CD-ROM disc, they couldn't go the extra distance to include a printed manual - or any manual for that matter. You have to download that from the web as well!
Then, I had thought that this would make a good replacement for my lost/missing remotes. Wrong. With only four buttons, this doesn't make for a very efficient replacement remote. What you can do with is is to program each button to perform a sequence of steps, limited only by your imagination. Plus, you can save your creations to a file (which I encourage you to share, either here or on RoboCommunity).
Having said that, I still recommend you visit the IR Remote Project page if you are looking for replacement remotes.
Year Released: 2008
Original Price: $20
Technical Specifications:
Power Supply: 3 x AAA batteries
Dimensions:
Weight:
RF Frequency: N/A (infrared)
