Stout Beaver

Continue reading ChouChou Electric Butterfly flutters to life inside a jar

ChouChou Electric Butterfly flutters to life inside a jar originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 15:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Robonica has rolled out the Roboni-i toy that will fuse elements of robotics, R/C vehicles and interactive gaming to deliver a brand new entertainment category known as “Robotic Gaming”. Gamers will find meaningful and structured gameplay within regardless of whether they play alone, with friends or online. Retailing for $249.99 a pop, Roboni-i is touted to be the “evolutionary ‘next step’ for entertainment robotics.”

A smart, fully programmable and highly agile two-wheeled robot, Roboni-i is the first entertainment robot to offer unlimited play patterns. The state-of-the-art robot features 16 sensors and four processors, RF (ZigBee) remote control and peer-to-peer protocol allowing for competitive gameplay with real-world robots. It also comes packaged with game accessories and six action games enabling players to lay out a playing field and use the gaming controller to select a game as they enter a new dimension of interactive, real-world robotic gameplay. Whether alone or with friends, they will need to beat the odds, race against time, manage resources, neutralize threats, execute special effects and collect bonus points to improve score.

The Roboni-i’s online universe is tipped to roll out this November in its beta version. Are you looking forward to this new method of gaming?

Press Release

Have a penchant for kicking up a brand new bunch of codes that is capable of causing a mini revolution? Well, if you’re pretty handy at coding and love the world of robotics, the Programmable Gaming Robot ought to be your cup of tea. After all, this Programmable Gaming Robot is able to go up against the clock or against other robots in a variety of games where you will be the one behind its movements.

The six included games are interactive environments composed of pieces that include a base station, energy port, special effects hub, and three universal gaming pads; each accessory may be individually programmed using a simple, drag-and-drop interface with the included software (requires a PC running Windows XP or Vista). Depending upon the game you select (or modify using the software) each accessory serves a unique purpose: the base station can act as a depot, timer, or target; the energy port ejects a ball (which is corralled by the robot’s built-in scoop) and recharges the robot; and the special effects hub provides robots with advanced maneuvers and abilities. The robot has infrared sensors and radio frequency identification chips that allow the robot to react to the game’s accessories and other competing robots, helping it to avoid obstacles, navigate autonomously, and participate in any of the six included games. You can also participate in interactive online gaming using any of the robot’s programmed routines–you can identify other robots online as “friend” or “foe” and the robot will interact with them accordingly. The games involve the robot picking up different colors by driving over encoded pads and delivering them to the hub before time expires, collecting a ball while avoiding “bullets”, dropping electronic “land mines” to obstruct competing robots, and more. The robot’s dual monowheel design provides nimble 360º movement as it moves between accessories–you can control it from up to 30′ away.

We would strongly recommend you get a healthy dose of AA batteries, as the entire set will take up to a dozen of those puppies before it is able to get up and running. The Programmable Gaming Robot will retail for $299.95.