tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-112083402008-05-12T15:26:21.401-07:00Robopet Reviewroschlernoreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11208340.post-1140456678259561122006-02-20T09:18:00.000-08:002006-02-20T11:19:24.286-08:00Robopet vs. i-CybieI have seen comments and emails from some of you asking for a comparison between the <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/robopet" rel="tag">Robopet</a> and the <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/i-cybie" rel="tag">i-Cybie</a> robot dogs. I own both and now have had a chance to think about the differences between the two robots. Here's a quick breakdown:<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">i-Cybie:<br /></span></span><br /><ul> <li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Amazing body movements</span><br /><br />The i-Cybie has some of the most impressive and flexible body movements I have seen in a low cost <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/consumer_robot" rel="tag">consumer robot</a>. His legs are multi-jointed and invertible and he can do everything from handstands, push-ups, and more. The Robopet has very simple legs without any joints, but he makes very good use of his waist and <span style="font-style: italic;">shoulder</span> joints.<br /><br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Voice Recognition<br /><br /></span>He can be trained to respond to your voice to obey a handful of spoken commands. The Robopet requires a PC running special software like <a href="http://www.robodance.com/">Robosapien Dance Machine</a> to support voice control (not included with the stock unit).<br /><br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Clap Commands<br /><br /></span>He will respond to morse code like clap commands too. For example, 2 hand claps will make the i-Cybie sit down. The Robopet does not have this feature.<br /><br /></li> <li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Automatic Recharging with the Optional Recharging Station<br /><br /></span>If you purchase the (currently) expensive <span style="font-style: italic;">walk-up charging station</span> which is not included with the stock robot, he will automatically recharge himself when his batteries are running low just like a <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/roomba" rel="tag">Roomba</a> robot vacuum cleaner does. (Here's a link to some <a href="http://www.androidtech.com/reviews-blog/2006/01/reviews-on-roomba_13.html">consumer reports on Roomba</a> the robot vaccum cleaner.) The Robopet doesn't have this option.<br /><br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Expressive Eyes<br /><br /> </span>The eyes on the i-Cybie change colors and blink at varying rates to let you know the internal state of the robot dog and to help you with various operations like training the voice commands, etc. The Robopet doesn't have any real eyes.</li> </ul><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">Robopet:<br /></span></span> <ul> <li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Hilarious Personality<br /><br /> </span>The Robopet is just plain funny. He's a fast moving dog. For example, he can flip himself over and play dead in the blink of an eye (<span style="font-weight: bold;">Watch out for this if he's on a table!</span>). He's rebellious, and likes to try out different tricks all by himself and at weird times. The slower bigger i-Cybie has some of these traits, but the Robopet has the edge in this department.<br /><br /></li> <li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Better Battery Life<br /><br /> </span>He will run for hours and hours on a fresh set of batteries. In contrast, after 3 to 4 hours of solid play the i-Cybie will need recharging and intensive use of even 1 to 2 hours can drain the batteries.<br /><br /></li> <li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Faster Movements<br /> </span><br />While the i-Cybie is the clear winner for amazing body movements, he is a bit slow and plodding. The Robopet is whip fast which makes him feel a little perkier.<br /><br /></li> <li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Funnier Sound Effects<br /><br /> </span>The R2D2 like sounds on the Robopet are just plain funny. They feel like they were done by a Hollywood sound company as opposed to the i-Cybie's quality but somewhat boring sound effects.</li> </ul> <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 102, 0);"></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">Conclusion</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Which one should you choose?</span> If you have the money, get both. They are completely different robots and clearly different robot dogs. If you are on a budget, then the Robopet will be close to half the cost of the i-Cybie. Otherwise, read the features above again and see which feature speaks to your heart the most. One quick note, the i-Cybie is about four times the size of the Robopet.<br /><br />I'll be putting out some comparison videos of the two dogs soon, so you can really see what I am talking about in this post. If you want to be notified when they are finished, then use the subscribe form at the top of my blog.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" ><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);font-size:130%;" >Resources<br /><br /><a href="http://www.robotsrule.com/html/i-cybie.php"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:100%;"></span></span></a></span></span></span></span><a href="http://www.robotsrule.com/html/i-cybie.php">i-Cybie Consumer Reports and Technical Information</a><br /><a href="http://www.robotsrule.com/html/robopet.php">Robopet Technical Information</a><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" ><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);font-size:130%;" ><a href="http://www.robotsrule.com/html/robopet.php"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:100%;"></span></span></a><br /></span></span></span></span><a href="http://www.roboburp.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=10">Robopet User Forum</a><br /><a href="http://www.robotsrule.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=29">i-Cybie User Forum</a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" ><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);font-size:130%;" ></span><br /></span></span></span>roschlernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11208340.post-1136996944662434292006-01-11T08:23:00.000-08:002006-01-11T08:29:04.673-08:00Robopet as Traveling Guard DogHere's a cool idea for something to do with your Robopet when traveling.<br /><br />When I stay at a hotel or motel, I always wonder <span style="font-weight: bold;">whether or not someone has come into my room</span> or not, when I step out for a moment. Here's how to find out. Put your Robopet near the door and set him to <span style="font-weight: bold;">Guard</span> mode. When you come back, take him out of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Guard</span> mode. If he simply stands up when you do that, then your room was not disturbed. <span style="font-weight: bold;">If he responds with a sequence of growls and pants, then someone entered the room while you were gone</span>. Of course if someone takes your <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/robopet" rel="tag">Robopet</a>, then you'll also know that your room was disturbed but it is more likely that his barking and growling might just chase off a would-be burglar. Be prepared to explain to the hotel that <span style="font-weight: bold;">you </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">don't</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> really have a dog in your room</span>!roschlernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11208340.post-1136860662495374072006-01-09T18:25:00.000-08:002006-01-09T18:39:50.236-08:00Robosapien Dance Machine - Teaser VideoWork on the next version of Robosapien Dance Machine, version 3, is going extremely well. The current publicly available version only works with the original <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/robosapien" rel="tag">Robosapien</a>. Version 3 will work with the <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/roboraptor" rel="tag">Roboraptor</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/robopet" rel="tag">Robopet</a>, and <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/robosapien_v2" rel="tag">Robosapien V2</a> robots.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.robodance.com/">Robosapien Dance Machine</a> is my<span style="font-weight: bold;"> free open source program</span> that lets you <span style="font-weight: bold;">use a Windows PC to control you WowWee robot</span>. The <span style="font-weight: bold;">user friendly graphical drag and drop interface</span> makes it <span style="font-style: italic;">easy</span> to create <span style="font-weight: bold;">fun powerful scripts</span> that make your <span style="font-weight: bold;">robot dance</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">act</span> in funny perfomances that you design. Robosapien Dance Machine's two other most notable features are the ability to <span style="font-weight: bold;">command your robot using just your voice,</span> instead of using the complex remote control, and to <span style="font-weight: bold;">instantly share scripts with other users </span>via a script bank; either scripts <span style="font-style: italic;">you</span> created or scripts created by others.<br /><br />This 1 minute (3 MB) <a href="http://www.robotsrule.com/html/robodance-preview.php">preview video</a> shows my <span style="font-weight: bold;">Robosapien V2</span>, original <span style="font-weight: bold;">Robosapien</span>, and my chrome <span style="font-weight: bold;">Robopet</span> interacting and generally causing a ruckus. Enjoy!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">If you have questions, visit the <a href="http://www.roboburp.com/phpBB2/">Evosapien forum</a> and look for the <a href="http://www.roboburp.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=2">Robosapien Dance Machine section</a>. </span><br /><br /><br />P.S. - I don't have the Roboraptor in the video because his <span style="font-weight: bold;">great big scaly green butt</span> wouldn't fit in the shot (or on the table)! (<span style="font-style: italic;">Sorry Fluffy!)</span>roschlernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11208340.post-1136708413714519492006-01-08T00:09:00.000-08:002006-01-08T00:20:13.730-08:00Robopet Controlled By Lego Mindstorms RCX computer!There's a new heavyweight hacker in town and his name is <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pavel </span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:-1;" >Petrovič</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:Arial;" ></span><span style="font-family:Arial;">. Him and his friend <span style="font-weight: bold;">Richard B</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:Arial;" >alogh</span><span style="font-family:Arial;"> are doing amazing things with infrared signals, especially in regards to controlling other robots with the <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/lego" rel="tag">Lego </a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/mindstorms" rel="tag">Mindstorms</a> RCX computer (also known as the <span style="font-style: italic;">RCX brick)</span>. He recently created code, that he is sharing publicly, that <a href="http://www.robotika.sk/projects/robsapien/petnrcx.php">controls a Robopet robot from his Lego Mindstorms Roverbot</a>. The little Roverbot wheels around and issues infrared commands to the </span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/robopet" rel="tag">Robopet</a>, and the Robopet obediently carries them out. Make sure you watch the fascinating video of this interspecies robot communication experiment.roschlernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11208340.post-1136382647947126282006-01-04T05:44:00.000-08:002006-01-05T16:58:47.653-08:00Mini RobopetThis is not confirmed yet, but I just had a forum user post a message saying that he saw the <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/mini_robopet" rel="tag"> Mini Robopet</a> at a local K-mart in Australia. The strangest part of the post was that the Mini Robopet appears to be a <span style="font-weight: bold;">wind-up toy</span>! The cost for the Mini Robopet at that K-mart was a little under $10 AUD. If anyone has a Mini Robopet or has played with one at a local store, please post a comment with details about it. Also, tell us how many features it has compared to the full-sized <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/robopet" rel="tag">Robopet</a>.roschlernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11208340.post-1136068970677560452005-12-31T14:29:00.000-08:002005-12-31T14:42:50.690-08:00Robopet - Guardian Of The Egg Sandwich!<table ALIGN=LEFT ><tr><td><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/43686907@N00/79142837/"><IMG SRC="http://static.flickr.com/36/79142837_08fe0dda61_m.jpg" ALIGN=LEFT /></a></td></tr><tr><td>-- from <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/43686907@N00/">mavra_chang</a> - <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/topic/66672/" >(?)</a></td></tr></table> True and hilarious Robopet story. I found out about this wonderful picture from Lem Fugitt's <a href="http://www.robots-dreams.com/">Robot Dreams blog</a> (if you're not reading it regularly you really should). Apparently at her Christmas party Megan had an egg sandwich that the family dog wanted to chow down on really badly. Megan put the Robopet in guard mode near the sandwich. Every time the dog approached Robopet barked and scared the dog away!<br /><br />A truly creative use of <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/robopet" rel="tag">Robopet</a>! Go and see the rest of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/43686907@N00/79142837/">Mavra's Robopet photo's</a> on flickr!roschlernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11208340.post-1135809791432667872005-12-28T14:38:00.000-08:002005-12-28T14:43:11.446-08:00Robopet Walking VideoLem Fugitt has done it again with a really great video of the Robopet's walking gaits. If you have been wondering how well the <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/robopet" rel="tag">Robopet</a> gets around then this is the video for you. Being the technical guy that he is, he actually explains how the Robopet manages to walk. He points out that the Robopet takes advantage it's <span style="font-weight: bold;">rocking motion</span> to move; a trait common to all of Mark Tilden's current robots. He also gives an interesting breakdown of <span style="font-weight: bold;">how the Robopet manages to turn</span> using different movements for its front and back legs; with all of this being done <span style="font-weight: bold;">without any knees</span>! Take a look at his blog page and then watch the video, "<a href="http://www.robots-dreams.com/2005/11/my_puppy_has_no.html">My Puppy Has No Knees!</a>".roschlernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11208340.post-1135596493193315562005-12-26T03:21:00.000-08:002005-12-26T03:28:13.210-08:00Robopet's RebelliousnessSome people have been commenting on <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/robopet" rel="tag">Robopet</a>'s lack of responsiveness to commands sometime. Robopet appears to ignore commands sometimes, or there is a <span style="font-style: italic;">long</span> delay before he responds. This happens for one of two reasons.<br /><br />First case, a long delay before responding. Robopet likes to finish a trick he starts before responding to a new command. Even if it is the <span style="font-style: italic;">stop</span> command. Like a stubborn child, he does <span style="font-style: italic;">hear</span> the command when you give it, he just wants to finish what he is doing before responding to it. Since some of Robopet's tricks take a long time to complete, the delay is quite noticeable.<br /><br />Second case, he just plain ignores a command. This is a strange rebellious behavior that everyone has seen in their digital doggy. It can be a little frustrating, but in a way it makes him feel like a real dog. It's just part of is <span style="font-style: italic;">personality</span>. It can be endearing in a robotic toy, but let's hope our automobiles never get like that!roschlernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11208340.post-1135471105974378972005-12-24T16:37:00.000-08:002005-12-24T16:38:25.990-08:00Robopet Merry XMasJust wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and hope all of you get a brand new <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/robopet" rel="tag">Robopet</a> under the tree this year!roschlernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11208340.post-1135302802696148232005-12-22T17:42:00.000-08:002005-12-22T17:53:22.713-08:00Robopet - Edge DetectorsOne of <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/robopet" rel="tag">Robopet</a>'s features is his edge detection sensor. This allows him to see the edges of tables or ledges and back away. However, there are some important things you need to know about his edge detection sensor:<br /><ul> <li><span style="font-weight: bold;">You have to turn it on</span> - Robopet's on/off switch is a 3 position switch. The far left position is <span style="font-weight: bold;">off</span>, the middle position is <span style="font-weight: bold;">on with edge detection</span>, the far right position is <span style="font-weight: bold;">on <span style="font-style: italic;">without</span> edge detection</span>. If you don't turn it on, then obviously it won't work.</li> <li>Even if you turn Robopet on with his edge detection sensor activated, if he is in <span style="font-weight: bold;">demo mode</span> or is running a <span style="font-weight: bold;">program</span> that you created, <span style="font-weight: bold;">the edge detection circuits do not operate</span>.<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></li> </ul> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Note!</span> I'll be the first to tell you that you should <span style="font-weight: bold;">never rely on the edge detectors</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">to prevent your Robopet from hurting himself</span>. I'm saying this from first hand experience. My original red Sharper Image Signature Series Robopet is currently awaiting a new motor. One time when he was on the edge of the table, he maniacally spun himself off the edge of the table with glee when he spontaneously decided to do the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Roll Over</span> trick. Then later he was backing up and I was too slow in stopping him from falling off the table. That particular fall busted his back leg motor. That's why you see my new chrome Robopet in my latest videos. I have a video of Robopet Red's final fall which I'll be releasing at some point.<span style="font-style: italic;"></span>roschlernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11208340.post-1135180448760088792005-12-21T07:33:00.000-08:002005-12-21T07:54:08.773-08:00Mini RobopetThe <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?link_code=ur2&tag=androidtechno-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&path=tg%2Fdetail%2F-%2FB0007SMKAI%2Fqid%3D1135180231%2Fsr%3D8-1%2Fref%3Dsr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl21%3Fv%3Dglance%2526s%3Dtoys%2526n%3D507846">Mini Robopet</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=androidtech11-20&l=ur2&o=1" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" height="1" width="1" /> is a smaller less functional version of the full sized <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/robopet" rel="tag">Robopet</a>. It's about 4 inches long and in the usual style of all the other Wow Wee <i>Mini</i> robots, it's just a <span style="font-weight: bold;">small animated walking toy</span>. You can pose the body manually a little, but aside from walking, that's about it.<br /><br />However it is cute and it makes an inexpensive gift for someone, especially youngsters. A clever gift idea is to give a youngster the Mini Robopet for a holiday or birthday gift a few days before the gift-giving event. Then give them the full-sized <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?link_code=ur2&tag=androidtech11-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&path=tg%2Fdetail%2F-%2FB0007SXAF2%2Fqid%3D1135180317%2Fsr%3D2-1%2Fref%3Dpd_bbs_b_2_1">Robopet</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=androidtechno-20&l=ur2&o=1" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" height="1" width="1" /> on the day of the event. It drives them wild with anticipation and <span style="font-weight: bold;">you can play with the full sized Robopet up until then</span>.roschlernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11208340.post-1134859838578497992005-12-17T14:43:00.000-08:002005-12-17T14:51:35.540-08:00Wow Wee RobopetWhen the original <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/robosapien" rel="tag">Robosapien</a> robot came on the scene, soon afterward a knock-off of the robot appeared known as the Roboactor. I have been told by owners of the clone that it is not the same quality as the WowWee Robosapien. However, it was so close in appearance and functionality, I was constantly getting email questions and seeing forum questions from confused would-be buyers of the Robosapien.<br /><br />This has some people a little nervous out there as to the authenticity of some of the <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/robopet" rel="tag">Robopet</a> toys they have seen that belong to the Mark Tilden line of toy robots. So I'm writing this post to clarify a few things. The Sharper Image red and chrome signature series robopets and the Radio Shack Bulldog Robopet are authentic Robopets that were customized for these two large vendors by WowWee. In addition, if you see the Robopet listed as "Wow Wee Robopet" or "WowWee Robopet", they are valid listings because WowWee is the manufacturer of the Robopet. <br /><br />Happy shopping!roschlernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11208340.post-1134778720865384632005-12-16T16:08:00.000-08:002005-12-16T16:18:40.880-08:00The Radio Shack Bulldog RobopetI ran into an oddity the other day when shopping at Radio Shack. Radio Shack apparently has a customized version of the <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/robopet" rel="tag">Robopet</a> called the <a href="http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2151309&cp=&kw=robopet&parentPage=search">Bulldog Robopet</a>. It's <span style="font-weight: bold;">white</span> and like the other customized versions, has the same functionality as all the other robopets. However, the difference lies in the <span style="font-weight: bold;">styling of the head</span>. The head has a different structure than the other robopets and it has <span style="font-weight: bold;">painted on blue eyes </span>(<span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> blue LEDs). It's interesting that WowWee does this for the various vendors and it's rather cool that they do.<br /><br />If anyone knows of any strange or interesting differences with the Bulldog Robopet, please post a comment.roschlernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11208340.post-1134521179433957212005-12-13T16:36:00.000-08:002005-12-13T16:46:19.443-08:00What Color Is That Robopet In The Window?Several people have been asking what colors the <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/robopet" rel="tag">Robopet</a> comes in and styles. Currently, there are 3 distinct styles of Robopet. There are the Sharper Image Robopets which come in two colors, but the same style. They have a <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=pv38jDXKp8U&offerid=84869.679619333&type=2&subid=0" >dark red</a><IMG border=0 width=1 height=1 src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=pv38jDXKp8U&bids=84869&type=2&subid=0" ></span> colored version, and a <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=pv38jDXKp8U&offerid=84869.679619333&type=2&subid=0" >reflective chrome</a><IMG border=0 width=1 height=1 src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=pv38jDXKp8U&bids=84869&type=2&subid=0" ></span> version. The head in both cases is a futuristic teardrop shape with two little holes for eyes. Some people, when seeing this version, have wished for a real set of eyes like the <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/i-cybie" rel="tag">i-Cybie</a> has, while others find the streamlined head shape "cool" looking. The other version is the <span style="font-weight: bold;">white</span> Robopet which is available at most stores. It has two blue eyes, but they are simply painted on and are not LED's or some other active light fixture.<br /><br />If you are wondering what happened to the cool looking Robopet that was shown at the Consumer Electronics show,<span style="font-weight: bold;"> it was just a prototype</span>. It had two ears that looked like solar panels and a slightly different body.roschlernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11208340.post-1134167562003441642005-12-09T14:24:00.000-08:002005-12-12T21:24:47.386-08:00Robopet Roll-Over QuirksSome owners of <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/robopet" rel="tag">Robopet</a> robot dogs have reported a strange quirk when their Robopet does the<span style="font-style: italic;">Roll Over</span> trick. Normally the robot flips over on it's back, waggles a bit, and then completes a full roll by flipping upright in the same direction that it flipped on its back. My chrome Sharper Image Robopet does exactly that. But some people have reported that <span style="font-weight: bold;">their doggy flips upright in the opposite direction</span>. So instead of doing a full roll, it does a half roll and then <span style="font-style: italic;">unrolls</span> itself back to the same position it was in before it began the trick.<br /><br />I am not sure what causes this. The Robopet uses tilt sensors to detect when it has fallen, and then uses internal algorithms to decide how to right itself. This is purely a guess, but it is possible that the Robopet's electronics, due to variances in the tilt sensors between models and variances in the power and sway in the waist motor, <span style="font-style: italic;">thinks</span> that the best way to get back up is to go back the way it came, instead of completing its roll.<br /><br />If anyone has their own story to tell about their Robopet doing the <span style="font-style: italic;">Roll Over</span> trick, or if someone knows the real answer to this puzzle, <span style="font-weight: bold;">please leave a comment</span>.roschlernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11208340.post-1133827335252802252005-12-05T15:48:00.000-08:002005-12-12T19:13:32.086-08:00i-Cybie Arrived Today, Robopet Is JealousIn preparation for the previously promised <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/robopet" rel="tag">Robopet</a> vs. <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/i-cybie" rel="tag">i-Cybie</a> comparison, I got my i-Cybie today via UPS. Here's a happy anecdotal story that was part of my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?link_code=ur2&tag=androidtechno-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&path=tg%2Fdetail%2F-%2FB0007PGJ7G%2Fqid%3D1133827248%2Fsr%3D8-1%2Fref%3Dpd_bbs_1%3Fv%3Dglance%2526s%3Dtoys%2526n%3D507846">Amazon i-Cybie</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=androidtechno-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> purchase.<br /><br />The price dropped $50 between the time I ordered the i-Cybie and the time it got to my door. But Amazon was kind enough to refund me the $50 difference! I ended up paying $129 for it instead of the original $179. No wonder they're kicking so much butt in the online retail space. <br /><br />I'm charging the i-Cybie's batteries right now so it will be another 6 to 8 hours before I can play with it. One first note, it's big! It's about 4 times the size and 4 times the weight of the Robopet! No wonder the battery life is so much shorter than the Robopet's. Stay tuned, the robot dog comparison review is coming soon!roschlernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11208340.post-1133561115243308472005-12-02T13:52:00.000-08:002005-12-02T14:12:05.620-08:00Robopet Vs. I-Cybie : Coming SoonI have had several people ask me how the <a href="http://www.robotsrule.com/html/i-cybie.php">i-Cybie</a> robotic dog compares to the <a href="http://www.robotsrule.com/html/robopet.php">Robopet</a>. I did some research and got some basic comparison information. For example, the <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/i-cybie" rel="tag">i-Cybie</a> responds to voice commands after you have trained it on your voice, the <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/robopet" rel="tag">Robopet</a> responds to anyone's voice commands but only with the help of Robosapien Dance Machine. The i-Cybie can recharge itself when it gets low on juice, the Robosapien runs a lot longer on his batteries than the i-Cybie can. The Robopet can run for many many hours on his batteries vs. about 1 1/2 hours for the i-Cybie under heavy usage. The Robopet costs about $100 the i-Cybie around $180.<br /><br />But that was not enough for me so I have ordered an i-Cybie robot. When it shows up, I'll follow up with a full comparison of the two popular robotic dogs and possibly a video showing them in action, side-by-side. What is of greatest interest to me is how much you can alter the personality of the i-Cybie vs. the Robopet. If you have a Robopet you know you can use the <span style="font-style: italic;">Punish</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Reward</span> buttons on the remote control to alter the frequency that it does particular tricks. I don't know how this works with the i-Cybie or if you even can punish and reward him. I'll know soon and so will you.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">If you have any questions about either robot dog that you would like answered in the comparison review, leave a comment and put the question in your comment.</span>roschlernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11208340.post-1133298086746516712005-11-29T12:49:00.000-08:002005-11-30T08:20:14.403-08:00Robopet's Free Roam ModeOf all the WowWee toy robots, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/robopet" rel="tag">Robopet</a> without a doubt has the most independent personality, even more than the significantly more expensive <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/robosapien_v2" rel="tag">Robosapien V2</a>. Up until the Robopet, the personality signature of the WowWee toy robots has been that of a very clever fun robotic <span style="font-style: italic;">puppet</span>, with a few short scripted moves. The Roboraptor and Robosapien V2 do indeed have a <span style="font-style: italic;">free roam</span> mode like Robopet does, but <span style="font-weight: bold;">you cannot alter their behavior</span> in that mode like you can with the Robopet.<br /><br />The distinctive feature of Robopet's fun and frequently quite disobedient personality is the <span style="font-weight: bold;">punish</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">reward</span> buttons on the remote control. In free roam mode, Robopet runs around the house and intermittently tries out different tricks it knows. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Important note</span>: in free roam mode <span style="font-weight: bold;">Robopet will do tricks that are not any of the ten tricks that are available from the remote control</span>! In other words, if you don't let your robotic doggy run around a bit and watch him, you aren't getting your money's worth out of your new pet!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What do the punish and reward buttons really do? </span> They change how often Robopet will do a particular trick. If you punish Robopet for doing the <span style="font-style: italic;">fart</span> trick, he will do it less often. If you reward him for doing the <span style="font-style: italic;">howl</span> trick, he will do it more often. If you reward him too many times for the same trick, that's the only trick he will do! If you punish him too often for too many tricks, he'll sulk and sit down in a state of confusion.<br /><br />As you can see, more than the other robots, Robopet has more of a personality and is the only one with a personality you can modify!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Operational Notes</span>:<br /><br />- You must punish him soon after he does a particular trick, don't wait too long.<br />- If he performs a trick because you told him to with the remote control, instead of him doing the trick himself, then the "punish" and "reward" buttons will have no effect. <span style="font-weight: bold;">He must do the trick himself</span>!<br />- Robopet flat out doesn't listen to you sometimes!roschlernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11208340.post-1132698092412041082005-11-22T14:15:00.000-08:002005-11-22T14:22:57.326-08:00Robopet Red Is Still Nearly DeadMy brave little red Sharper Image <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/robopet" rel="tag">Robopet</a> is still in a box with his waist motor exposed and his rear end (butt) still dissassembled. There was a nightmarish scene straight out of a movie like Blade runner when I was trying to fix on him. There he was on the table, his front legs pathetically trying to pull him forward while his good back leg flailed wildly and his bad leg just shuddered. I actually felt the irrational desire to put him out of his misery. Fortunately that involved simply shutting him off, but it was a microstudy in human emotion, watching my TV show induced emotions react to a pile of plastic, gears and motors. I couldn't even bring myself to video it!<br /><br />However, I did videotape his final leap off the table, which led to him being replaced in the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Voice Control</span> interface demonstration video by his understudy, the chrome Robopet. Although costly, it was hilarious! Subscribe to this blog or check back regularly; I'll make a post when it's ready for viewing. Remember, be careful with him when he is on a table!roschlernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11208340.post-1132537201419430282005-11-20T17:32:00.000-08:002005-11-20T17:40:01.430-08:00Voice Controlled Robopet Video Is Out!You can now see for yourself a <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/robopet" rel="tag">Robopet</a> being controlled by voice without having to punch out complex combinations of buttons on the remote control. I have succeeded in updating Robosapien Dance Machine to support other robots and I used the Robopet for my first tests, as I mentioned in earlier posts. Unfortunately, due to several table falls my first Robopet is in traction waiting for a new right rear leg motor. (<span style="font-weight: bold;">If you use him on a table build a corral around the edged or gets some pillows! You've been warned!</span>). <br /><br />It's tons more fun using your voice over the remote; especially since <span style="font-weight: bold;">Robopet is a very rebellious pup</span> and frequently chooses to ignore commands and do things you didn't ask him to do! Normally I would find that irritating but since he's supposed to be a robot dog, it makes him feel more real and alive. The <a href="http://www.robotsrule.com/html/robopet-videos.php">Robopet Video</a> is a 3 minute long Windows Media format file and is 6 MB in size. I'll be back soon with more videos, even some outtakes from this one, and more tips on using your Robopet in exotic and crazy ways. <br /><br />(Note: The current version of Robosapien Dance Machine on SourceForge does not support the Robopet yet! I'll make an announcement in several places when that version is available for public consumption).<br /><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/robopet" rel="tag"><br /></a>roschlernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11208340.post-1132290003798168132005-11-17T20:50:00.000-08:002005-11-17T21:00:03.810-08:00Voice Controlled Robopet - part 2Work with my <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/robopet" rel="tag">Robopet</a> and <a href="http://www.robodance.com/">Robosapien Dance Machine</a> continued today. I'm growing more appreciative of my robot dog every day. Unlike the <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/robosapien" rel="tag">Robosapien</a> the Robopet seems to queue commands. For example, the Play Dead command takes 11 seconds to complete. During this time, if you issue another command, like I am doing by voice, there's a chance he'll still execute it "<span style="font-style: italic;">when he gets around to it</span>". Sometimes he doesn't. This unpredictability gives you the feeling of a real dog since you are never sure if he heard you and is just ignoring you, or that he heard and hasn't gotten around to doing it. A side effect of this is that during testing, I was too slow in yelling "<span style="font-weight: bold;">stop</span>" and Robopet took a dive off the table! Fortunately, at least on carpet, the falls don't bother him much. (Note: don't try this at home! The Robopet you save may be your own!). More coming soon, as I smooth things out in the scripting interface and <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/speech_recognition" rel="tag">speech recognition</a> system to make the Robopet voice control interface as smooth as possible. I'm also very eager to see how well the interface works with the <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/robosapien_v2" rel="tag">Robosapien V2</a>.roschlernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11208340.post-1132094885580048982005-11-15T14:44:00.000-08:002005-12-04T04:31:11.143-08:00First Test Of Voice Controlled Robopet Today!Completed most of the hard work on <a href="http://www.robodance.com/">Robosapien Dance Machine</a> to allow support for robots other than the original Robosapien. Ran my first full test using my <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/robopet" rel="tag">Robopet</a> today! He's perfect for voice control. It is so much more fun ordering him to do tricks by simply saying "Howl", "Scratch", or "Give Me Your Paw" instead of pressing the<span style="font-weight: bold;"> tricks</span> button 1 to 9 times followed by the <span style="font-weight: bold;">execute</span> button. Since he's naturally a little disobedient, it's like talking to a real dog. In addition, it's much more natural to just think of a command and then say it, rather than staring at the remote and trying to remember which button does what. Be ready, a video of my voice controlled Robopet is coming soon!<br /><br /><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/robopet" rel="tag"><br /></a>roschlernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11208340.post-1131806884694893502005-11-12T06:46:00.000-08:002005-11-12T06:48:04.696-08:00New Robotpet In the HouseI've got a brand new Sharper Image Robotpet now. It's dark red and so is the remote control. He doesn't seem to like walking on carpet very much but does fine on the kitchen floor or a table. I'll be posting a lot more about him soon.roschlernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11208340.post-1109862192609936422005-03-03T06:56:00.000-08:002005-03-03T07:03:48.216-08:00Robosapien Dance Machine ReleasedThe Robosapien Dance Machine software I've been working on has now been released. It's a free open source program being licensed under the GNU Public License (GPL) and hosted by the wonderful people at <a href="http://sourceforge.net/" >SourceForge</a>.<br /><br />The software program allows you to control your Robosapien using your personal computer, instead of the included remote control; so you can create your own dances, comedy videos & sketches, and performances. Here is a link to the <a href="http://sourceforge.net/projects/robodance/" >Robosapien Dance Machine's</a> installer and source files. You can also see the <a href="http://www.robodance.com/">Help Documentation</a> online which contains some screenshots.roschlernoreply@blogger.com