Roboraptor

Dinosaurs used to rule the world. Robots will someday rule the universe. With these two incontrovertible facts in mind, Mark Tilden the former NASA scientist behind Robosapien, has created Roboraptor, a programmable robotic dinosaur that's so intelligent we're beginning to think it might well be the result of some strange, Land That Time Forgot/Terminator-style temporal anomaly. Then again, it might not.

But let's forget about conjecture, because the fact is Roboraptor is one astonishing, programmable R/C dinosaur. Indeed he's truly (r)evolutionary and set to become as insanely popular as Robosapien. He is fully controllable and programmable by radio control but also fully autonomous in free-roam mode.

Unlike a real dinosaur Roboraptor is no bird brain: multi-sensors allow this 32" bipedal beast to see, hear and feel the environment around him. He has multiple touch sensors in his head and tail, while sonic sensors detect sound and direction. He even has three distinct moods: hunter, cautious and playful. Go near his face when he's hunting and he'll behave aggressively; touch him when he's playful and he'll nuzzle your hand. A bit like Rod Hull's Emu but without the plastic arm and blue tinsel.



Possibly the most impressive thing about Roboraptor is the way he walks in an incredibly lifelike predatory manner. We've heard of walking the dinosaur but this is ridiculous! In fact the first time we witnessed Roboraptor's fluid biomechanical motion we half expected Raquel Welch to run out in her fuzzy britches and chuck a spear at him. It really is that realistic. Roboraptor can even hold objects in his incredibly powerful jaws.

Roboraptor is programmed and controlled via a sleek PlayStation-style joypad. Just like Robosapien the permutations of movement are endless and you'll be creating new sequences for Roboraptor until the cows (or should that be mammoths) come home. Or until a huge radioactive asteroid smashes into our planet with catastrophic consequences.

As you can tell, Roboraptor has got us in a right prehistoric tizzy because we think this state-of-the-art robo-reptile is set to rule the R/C world. So hurry up and get ordering before our stock faces total extinction.

Roboraptor has won the following awards:

• 2005 Toy of the Year, Australia Toy Fair
• 2005 Boy's Toy of the Year, Australia Toy Fair
• 2005 Toy Of The Year, Norwegian Toy Association
• 2005 Best Electronic Toy of the Year, "Revue du Jouet"; France
• 2005 Best Toy of the Year, "Revue du Jouet"; France