Japanese toymaker Tomy Co unveiled Robo-Q, which is what they say the world’s smallest walking robot. The two-legged toy is just 3.4 centimeters high and weighs 12 grams.
Robo-Q can detect obstacles and navigate through a maze using built-in infrared sensors. Users can also play games such as soccer with the battery-powered robot via a wireless controller. Charging the battery for 30 minutes is enough for 5 minutes of operation.
Takara Tomy said Robo-Q will be avalaible in white, orange, red and silver from next February. The company also announced its newest toy will make its way outside Japan as well but failed to give an exact date. In Nippon, Robo-Q will cost $35.
Takara Tomy showcased Robo-Q at Robo Japan 2008 [JP] last week but hasn’t set up a dedicated website yet.
The Robo-Q design is really ugly, and Charging the battery for 30 minutes is enough for 5 minutes of operation only….
Tomy had to get back the world record for smallest bipedal somehow. Going micro just might discourage the makers of Bee Robot. That company took the Guinness World Record away from Tomy’s i-Sobot. I think the Bee Robot stands at about 6 inches where i-Sobot is 6.5. The funny thing is the Robo Q and the Bee Robot move alike. For Bee Robot to come in smaller than i-Sobot they had to get rid of the knee joints. So Bee Robot is uglier than Robo-Q and moves penguin. We here in the United States are impressed when a robot can lift its leg off the ground and balance. I-Sobot fits that role and has such a lovely price at about one hundred dollars.
The product is really disappointing. My 9yr old son used his own savings to buy this “expensive” toy but all the instructions are in Japanese. The robot moves for less than 1 min even when it’s been charged overnight. Not sure if the product is faulty but I can’t find product support anywhere.
Totally won’t recommend it to any kid.