WowWee Roboreptile Robotic Reptile

by Wow Wee

Product Features

• The ultimate herpetological species. Don't be fooled by this beast's size -- he is fast, ferocious, cunning and intelligent
• A sly and ruthless creature, Roboreptile uses advanced technology for greater intelligence
• Roboreptile's powerful infrared vision and sonic sensors swiftly alert him to disturbances in his environment
• Roboreptile can be extremely hostile or harmless, alert or asleep
• He can be programmed with movements and animations and is packed with personality
• Can be controlled directly, programmed or put into Free Roam, Demo Mode, Guard Mode or Sleep Mode.
• He has four moods aggressive, ferocious, passive or tammed
• In Guard Mode they make him a formidable sentry. In Free Roam his sharp sensory systems make him a ruthless predator

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 12.1 x 33.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B000ENW5Q0
• Item model number: 8065
• Our recommended age: 8 - 12 years
• Manufacturer recommended age: 8 - 12 years
• Batteries: 9 AA batteries required.
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #99,934 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (81 customer reviews)

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Wowwee's Roboreptile is an often startling robotic toy that, once you get the hang of its wonky controls, is actually pretty fun. Like other Wowwee robots, there's a preprogrammed animation that goes off when it is first powered up. It's impressive: growling, snapping jaws and a whipping tail. In short, Roboreptile looks like something out of the future and moves like something out of the past.

The Roboreptile comes with a remote control and a hood accessory

The Roboreptile has infrared "vision" sensors where its eyes would be and stereo "hearing" sensors on the sides of its face. Its sounds, though a bit tinny, are menacing. During a tail swipe, it lets out a sort of Eagle cry, harkening back to the shared avian/reptile ancestry.

Controlling the Monster
Controlling the Roboreptile with the remote is a bit of a strain. First, because the remote uses an infrared beam and the pick-up sensor is located in its head. You won't be able to control it from far away, and it's difficult to control while walking away from you. Roboreptile will keep executing a command until it receives a new remote command.

Roboreptile looks like something out of the future and moves like something out of the past.

Second, each button on the remote has two alternate functions: an attack set and a program set. When the remote is on the program setting, the alternate functions light up in red for each button but, for some reason, when the remote is in the attack setting, we're left to refer to the instruction manual (or our own memories) for that set's functions. For example, to make the roboreptile bite, you first have to get the remote into attack mode by pressing the select button until the remote display turns green. Then you press the button marked "Roam."

Another counter-intuitive thing about the controls is that the left and right buttons respectively make its left and right legs move, turning him in the opposite direction. I expected the left button would make him turn left, but instead it turns him right. The instructions also say that it can make both stationary and forward turns but I could only manage to execute stationary turns.

When using the "feed" button, the Roboreptile will track the remote's movement from side to side. If it moves too much, though, Roboreptile could get dizzy.

Control issues aside, it is genuinely alarming--in a Jurassic Park sort of way--when this little beast lunges at and tries to bite your foot.

From Satisfied to Hungry in 60 Seconds
Roboreptile can be operated in direct control, free roam, and program modes. Direct control is its natural state, where the user becomes puppeteer, moving it with the remote control. There is a surprising range of motion for this robot. It can walk forward on four legs or two, jump, swipe its tail from side to side, bite, shake, and even look dizzy, as though it had just been smacked by a bigger dino. It even has different walking gaits: fast, slow, big steps, small steps.

It'll go into free roam mode after a few minutes without controller input or if the "touch sensor" (actually just a button) on its back is pressed. It avoids obstacles by backing up and trying a different angle and exhibits three different moods: Hungry, Satisfied, and Hooded. Hungry is its natural state, agressive and snappy. Satisfied comes after it's eaten--in this case, gone through a feeding animation cycle where it crows and snaps its jaw--and this makes it lethargic for about a minute before it's hungry again. Using the included hood, or cowl, to snap over its vision and hearing sensors and effectively put him in sleep mode.

There's also a program mode where you can enter a series of up to 20 steps. Think of it as dance choreography, only with tail swipes and biting. You can put Roboreptile into guard mode, where it'll sit upright, poised for attack. If anything gets picked up by its sensors (passes within inches of its face), it will let out a growl and lunge in that direction. Its hearing is better than its sight (wasn't that the case with dinosaurs, too?), so in the guarded state, it'll react to a slamming door or a whistle with a howl and swinging its neck from side to side.

Parents should note that Roboreptile comes with two volume settings: loud and soft. We tested it on a hardwood floor and kitchen countertop and noticed that, even on the soft setting, its hard plastic thumps and servo motor whirs still created a sizeable ruckus. --Porter B. Hall

Product Description

With his low menacing stride and striking animation, Roboreptile is an impressive mix of mobility, multi-sensory technology and fiery personality. This adventurous beast awakens with a jump, whips his long tail and springs into action. He's capable of high-speed running on all four legs, and he can turn on a dime on two legs.

Roboreptile moves in many ways. He can be controlled directly with the remote, programmed to perform a sequence of functions, placed into guard mode, or put into his "Normal Mode" where he will roam the environment. A full array of sensors - vision, touch and sound - allow him to freely roam and interact with his surroundings. When he gets overly aggressive, he can be calmed with a push of the "feed" button on the controller. And when its time to rest, place the cowl over his eyes to put him to sleep.

Roboreptile includes more than 30 preprogrammed functions, all handled through the remote. Requires 9 "AA" batteries (not included). Measures 33" long. Colors may vary.

See all Product Description

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

202 of 203 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars They're getting better, but still not the perfect artificial pet., September 7, 2006

By 

Gavin Scott (Sunnyvale, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: WowWee Roboreptile Robotic Reptile (Toy)

I picked up a Roboreptile last night (the cats were getting too complacent after all) and it's definitely a big improvement over the earlier Roboraptor (from what I've seen of that one).

I'm not sure how much long term entertainment one can get from one of these, but it's an interesting novelty item. When I was like five years old this would have been just the coolest thing though. Robophiles and younger kids will love them.

The one caveat I wanted to offer is that the Roboreptile does not work so hot on carpeted floors. His main locomotion technique is basically "shuffling" and this tends to fail on a soft surface. On any hard surface though he gets around pretty good.

So three out of five on this one I think.

Oh, and the cats took to him surprisingly well. Doesn't look/smell enough like anything that evolution has programmed them to be afraid of I guess :-)

One more thing: Getting him out of the box was a major pain. Apparently they're concerned about packs of them escaping and running amok devouring Barbies in the stores at night or something, since he's wired, taped, and screwed to the cardboard which is then glued into the outer box, so set aside a good 20-30 minutes for the unpacking process. And a philips screwdriver that's less than 1/4" in diameter and at least 3 inches long to unscrew him (and get the battery doors open).

G.

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars evolution in action, December 12, 2006

By 

Tyler Forge "realist" (Sunnydale, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: WowWee Roboreptile Robotic Reptile (Toy)

The roboreptile is about as capable as my old ers-110 aibo, but cost a lot less and is reptilian. Also a bit slower. By reptilian, I mean that it doesn't want to interact, it just wants to hunt, or guard. In themselves, these modes are worth the price of the toy.

It has 4 modes - roam, guard, remote control, and programmable. Remote control is OK, but quickly bores because the critter isn't fast. It lets you check what it can walk on/over.

Roboreptile has a program mode, which is the biggest change from roboraptor. (It's also a little faster when turning.) Stringing behaviors together, however, also quickly bores because the critter can't run. or fight

One little pleasure is hooding. It usually doesn't like being hooded and acts that way.

Roaming/hunting is when it wanders around and occasionally roars or snaps at the air. Interesting. Feeding is not that interesting because you just poke a button on the remote. Too tomagachi for me.

Guard is fun because it can spook the unwary.

Battery life is not impressive, use rechargeables.

After a while, time to take it apart. Type "roboreptile hack" into a search engine. Then dig in. It's easier than getting the critter out of the packaging. Now the real fun begins! I've met Tilden, the designer, and I suspect one of his goals was to flood the world with little motors, controllers, and sensors. Those are the building blocks of robotics. That and legos. Can the body plastic fit together another way? Can the tail be modified into a tentacle?

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty better than expected, December 18, 2006

By 

Jae Ho Jung - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: WowWee Roboreptile Robotic Reptile (Toy)

As alerted in many reviews, he has three major defects - 1) performance of walking on carpet and 2) unwrapping 3) battery

As for walking on carpet, his forward movement in fast speed and walking turn works well even on carpet. On the contrary rear movement, slow walking and stationary turns are almost impposible. I recommend fast walking and walking turn while playing on carpet. If you get bamboo or wooden stitched mat, lay it on the carpet and play roboreptile on it. His wakling performance will be greatly enhanced.

As for his second, unwrapping him from the box can be completed within 20 - 25 minutes with Philips screw driver, long nose wrench and cutter knife if you have an experience on another WOWEE robots. He is tied with four plastic-coated wires on his body and two bolts underneath his feet. So unwrapping is not pain so long as you can use your implements skillfully.

His major caveats lie in different characteristics:

First of all, it is too dangerous to leave him with kids under 5 years. The speed and amplitude of his head and tail movement is quite fast and large. Moreover, the sweeping motion of his legs doesn't give us a room to grasp him while walking. Beware potential pinch or strike on face!!! Make sure to let him played by adults or over fifteens. NEVER LET HIM UNATTENDED WITH KIDS WHILE WALKING!

The second caveat is his size and speed for indoor play - this may be subject opinion, but I feel he is so fast and long that we need enough space even in case of flat floor without carpet. Parking lot without car around or courtyard under fine weather is the best place to play him.

The third problem may be practical. It consumes 6 AA-sized batteries for his body working. However the batteries are easily run out. Use high durable batteries such as duracell/energizer or rechargeables. Low power batteries make the walking of roboreptile poor.


Another bothering is that you have to hold and fasten subduing helmet after putting it on. His furious head-banging while he gets tranquilized often throws it away. In addition, make sure to read manual before playing. It helps you to understand him better and let you escape from monotonous feeling with only 10-bottoned remote controller.

OF COURSE, HE IS THE BEST LIFE-LIKE CREATURE AMONG ALL WOWEE ROBOTS, AND MINI ROBOREPTILE IS THE BEST AMONG ALL WOWEE MINI VERSIONS!!!! IT'S UNDENIABLE!!!

Finally, I would like to point out that his original retail price is too expensive. Take the change of big sale such as X-mas or Thanksgiving. Above price is the main reason why I place 4 star on this item. Be sure to buy it within 50 bucks. That's well enough.