The Revolution Will Not Be Digitized : I, For One, Welcome My New Robot Overlords

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The Revolution Will Not Be Digitized

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Brian Braiker

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N'Gai Croal

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Steven Levy

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I, For One, Welcome My New Robot Overlords

Brian Braiker

What is it?
A new line of interactive robots

How much will it cost me?
$100-$300, depending on the model.

Who makes it?
WowWee

Why should I care?
Because they're robots! Befriend them now before they enslave us all.

How would you describe it?
Mr. Personality has a color LCD screen where his face ought to be. It tells jokes, plays games, and has a personality you can reprogram through a USB connection. If the writer's strike is still underway by the time Mr. Personality hits the market this summer, you'll be happy to plunk down the $250.

The three-wheeling Tri-Bot also yukks it up--at half the price ($100)--with eyebrows that jag up and down as he tells his goofy jokes. He also plays games that require you to maneuver him in certain patterns. The Tri-Bot takes a page out of the Wii playbook: you steer him with a motion-sensitive remote control that that you simply tilt from side to side.

Also slated for release this summer is the Femisapien, the voluptuous fembot. At just $100, she'll be marketed to women and girls--especially women and girls who dig wicked bellbottoms, platform shoes and Daft Punk. She responds to voice commands and even dances when she hears music.

Slightly more sinister looking--and definitely much cooler--is the Rovio ($300), a surveillance bot with a video camera, microphone, and Wi-Fi capabilities. The three-wheeled Rovio can stream video from its camera to remote locations with a broadband-connected Windows PC or smartphone. Unfortunately it's not invisible, so it's unlikely your mark won't notice he's being spied on.

When can I get my hands on it?
The full line of robots will be on sale by late summer.

What's your verdict?
Good clean pointless fun.

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