Toy Fair: Robotics

By Lisa Fary

Growing up, the only positive robot role models I had were C-3PO and R2D2. Later, there was Data from Star Trek: TNG. Just about every other fictional robot I encountered went dangerously off-program or was a killer in the first place. HAL. Bishop from Alien. The Terminator. Replicants. Maximilian from The Black Hole. Cylons. ED-209. It’s a wonder I didn’t run screaming when confronted by actual robots at Toy Fair.

From prefab robotic bugs to do-it-yourself robot army kits, here are the best of the Toy Fair (along with a 1 – 5 risk assessment of their potential for world destruction):

Hexbugs

The Hexbug is the modern answer to Matchbox cars and race tracks. The Hexbugs are small robotic creatures that react to touch and sound. You can race them, put them through mazes, build your own obstacle courses for them. The original is a basic beetle, but there are also Inchworm, Crab, and Ant models, each of which not only look like their namesakes, but are programmed to have similar behaviors. For example, the Crab model will hide in dark spaces until chased out by a loud sound or a light. The newest Hexbug is the Nano, which looks, feels and acts like a real bug.

In the future, I’d like to see Hexbug kits that allow kids to build their own Hexbug. But for the time being there is a lot I like about the product, particularly the low price point (Nano: $9.99; Original and Ant: $11.99; Crab: $14.99; Inchworm $19.99). The company also offers fundraising options for schools.

Order Hexbugs here

Scare factor: 2
Potential for world destruction: This all depends on whether the Hexbugs become sentient and come together to form one giant robot bug, doesn’t it? I’m going with 5.

Robotikits: 6 in 1 Solar Kit

This robotics kit gives kids the chance to build their own solar-powered models. The kit comes with parts to build six different models, including a car, boat, and plane, and comes with a working solar cell.

Order Robotikits here

Scare factor: 1 for normies, 5 for the oil industry
Potential for world destruction: 1 (unless you believe oil industry propaganda, in which case, 5)

Interbots

Interbots doesn’t have toys available yet, but they are reportedly coming soon. What’s shown here is Quasi 2.0, an interactive robot, which the company is working to get below a $100 price point.

Read more about Interbots here.

Scare factor: 1
Potential for world destruction: 2. Even if Quasi did go berserk, he’s so small that he couldn’t do much damage.

Bioloid

Does your kid aspire to build her own robot force with which dominate the world? The Bioloid robotics kit will help her learn the ropes and get started on that robot army. Out of one kit, she can build a robot puppy, robot dinosaur, robot spider, robot turtle, probing robot, excavator, and a humanoid.

Read more about Bioloid here.

Scare factor: 2
Potential for world destruction: 3. Surely, robot puppies and robot turtles are gateway robots for the young, impressionable mad scientist.

Lisa Fary is a graduate of the creative writing program at Florida State University and holds an advanced degree in Special Education. Her earliest influences are Princess Leia, Rainbow Bright, Astronaut Barbie, and her 6th grade teacher, Ms. Palmer. She’s angry that it’s almost 2010 and she still doesn’t have a hovercraft, but will accept a jetpack as consolation. That jetpack had better be pink with a rhinestone monogram.

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