WowWee Robosapien Humanoid Toy Robot with Remote Control

by WowWee

Product Features

• Designed by NASA scientists
• Multi-speed walking, running and turning
• Fast, full-function arms with grippers
• 67 pre-programmed functions
• Up to 84 programmable steps
• Manufacturer's Suggested Age: 6 Years and Up
• Care and Cleaning: Wipe Clean With a Dry Cloth

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 16 x 12.4 x 24.8 inches ; 0.3 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B000161RFA
• Item model number: 8081
• Manufacturer recommended age: 8 years and up
• Batteries: 3 AAA batteries required.
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #4,608 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (115 customer reviews)

Product Description

Editorial Review

Designed by a robotics physicist who worked at NASA, the hulking Robosapien looks like a Star Wars stormtrooper on steroids, with a stark black and white body and massive shoulders and feet. Just press the black power button on its back, and it awakens with a yawn and an "Uh-huh." You control the robot using an elaborate, button-rich remote that looks as though it could run your home theater system. The Robosapien can perform more than 80 actions such as dance, burp, do a karate chop, give a high five, and listen for intruders, and its eyes light up red and blink whenever a command is received. It’s also equipped with touch sensors, and it stops when it bumps into walls. If you ever get sick of its act, simply press the Stop button to make it quit. The robot is highly flexible, with joints that go every which way, yet very solidly constructed. Four D batteries for the robot and three AAA batteries for the remote are required. An extensive instruction booklet is included. --Andy Boynton

Product Description

While the Robot Systems Technology Branch at NASA's Johnson Space Center continues to develop its humanoid Robonaut, one NASA scientist has worked to take many of the same basic capabilities and introduced Robosapien! Robosapien is a full function, programmable, fast moving robot controlled by wireless remote control. High-tech but easy to use, Robosapien features: Real multi-speed fast dynamic walking, running, and turning. Fast, full function arms with two types of grippers.67 pre-programmed functions including pick-up, throw, kick, sweep, dance, fart, belch, rap, and half-a-dozen different kung-fu moves. Speaks fluent international "caveman. Programmable "reflexes" to touch, pickup, kicks, or sound. Up to 84 program steps, with 4 program modes for advanced operations. No computer required, all functions handled by ergonomic remote control. Runs on regular batteries (not included) for over 6 hours. Three demonstration modes: Disco dance, Rude behavior, and Kung Fu Kata. Simple enough for kids, advanced enough for adults, it's like a video game character for the home. Developed by Mark Tilden, a robotics physicist who has worked for NASA, DARPA and JPL through Los Alamos National Laboratory. He developed the basics for biomorphic robotics in 1988; Robosapien is the first commercially available robot based upon this principle.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

413 of 450 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Just okay, August 20, 2004

By	Sunnydale - See all my reviews

Durability:3.0 out of 5 stars Fun:3.0 out of 5 stars Educational:2.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: WowWee Robosapien Humanoid Toy Robot with Remote Control (Toy)

Getting this robot out of the box is a job in itself. Have scissors handy and be prepared to do a lot of cutting and tearing. Also have a few screwdrivers around, because you need to unscrew the battery compartments to open them. Since I didn't know all this, it took me more than 20 minutes to wrestle the robot out of its packaging (which got fairly mangled despite my best efforts to be careful), find an appropriate screwdriver, and finally get things operating.

About the operation: not bad. The robot can bend its body well, all things considered, and the range of movement is pretty good. It did have a bit of trouble moving backwards and forwards on my carpeted floor (low-pile; NOT shag) and as for turning right or left, the efforts were painful to watch. The robot exerted a lot of energy but could only move in little hitches, and it took many labored seconds to fully turn to the right. It did do much better when on the very smooth kitchen floor.

Best functions: the karate chops, complete with sound effects; the dance program; "listen" program; wolf whistle; high five; and the arm movements.

Most frustrating: trying to get the robot to pick up items. They must be VERY carefully placed, and also just the right size and height. They also can't be very heavy at all. The robot could pick up a pencil when I held it up off the ground, but the pencil then slipped through its hand. It was able to grasp a small toy, but could not pick it up because even that light weight was too much. The arms are NOT very strong. For instance, if you command the robot to raise its arm, and then place your hand over the arm while exerting only a small amount of pressure, the arm will stop moving pretty quickly. It has little power.

As for durability, the robot's head seems quite delicate and loose. I kept worrying that it would fall off. And the black paint chips fast to reveal white underneath. When I bought the robot, it already had a few small areas where the paint was chipped. After I gently and carefully used it for about a half hour, it had a few more chipped areas. In some of the robot's movements, it actually strikes its own body, which doubtless caused some of the chipping. Example: when my Robosapien lowers its arms all the way, it usually smacks its legs. Aside from the paint and the head, it does seem reasonably hardy.

The novelty value wore off quickly. At first I was eager to try it out, but after maybe 15 minutes of putting it through its paces I found myself losing interest. Later, my young cousin played with it and enjoyed it for a while, but after a couple of days he turned to other toys and the Robosapien sat to the side, gathering dust.

Honestly? This toy is a disappointment. If you want a cool robot toy, try the R2D2 droid, which probably goes for a lower price by now and can play neat games. I've owned an R2 for over a year and still play with it fairly often. I just don't see this happening with Robosapien.

85 of 91 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dreams of all things BIG!, August 4, 2004

By	Michelle Lauzon-Nix "Spiritwind" (Greeley, CO United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: WowWee Robosapien Humanoid Toy Robot with Remote Control (Toy)

In the true world of robotics excluding hollywood; our technology is that of a child or toddler and we have a long way to go in the area of robotics helping human kind. SONY; and HONDA are making incredible discoveries in the evolution of the robot and interaction with mankind. People have to separate hollywood bots to the real, miracle of the advances of robotics.
This ROBOSAPIEN ROBOT is by far, the most spectacular I have seen available to the public for a very fair price. I have bought less valuble robots that broke in a month or didn't do what they had promised in the first day of use. I imagine, they have named him ROBOSAPIEN: one because of its humanistic behaviors, comical fun, but also the cavemen talk is exactly where we are in the field of ROBOTS. This has been an incredibly intertaining and unique toy that gets laughs and all the neighborhood's attention when He is out having fun with the other kids. His crude behavior, is funny and not at all offensive; even to older groups. He is more amazing to watch.
There is complaint that he does not remember what you have programmed to do once you shut him off; but that is the learning part of it and to keep my son entertained. While he can belch or fart one day with a clap; the next day he will give you a dance or kung fu move when you clap. Extraordinarily and uniquely entertaining to all ages, he has more than exceeded my child's expectations, as he has dreamed and saved for him for over six months. He has not at all been disapointed and if you have a "techy" child; you know how bored they can become and before you know it they are taking them apart to see how all thier mechanisms robots. His motions are very fluid contrary to the other review, all I can say is either he had a defective unit or expected much too much in the area of robotics and doesn't know at all how far we have come, from RAD; commando bot; emiglio. This Robot is absolutely amazing!!

43 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Robosapien Rocks!, April 21, 2005

By	Steven Koleman (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: WowWee Robosapien Humanoid Toy Robot with Remote Control (Toy)

I love this robot, in fact I bought two regular Robosapiens and one mini Robosapien. It has a ton of personality, great sounds, and most importantly, it's funny as hell. There are over 67 different moves it can make. It actually walks and turns quite well, and runs for a long time on one set of batteries, which much longer than other robot toys I have.

In addition, there are tons of modifications out there that you can try, to enhance the Robot. Just search Google or Amazon's A9 for "Robosapien Hacks". There are also great free programs that you can use to greatly extend the "play life" of this little guy.

My personal favorite is a free open source program on SourceForge that let's you control him with your voice, and easily create complex scripts to make him do all sorts of wonderful thing. It's great for impressing your friends or making your own robot movies. Unfortunately you need a Windows computer and an infrared transmitter to run the program, but you can get the transmitter for cheap and most of us already have a Windows computer.

Just go to SourceForge and search for "Robosapien". It's called the Robosapien Dance Machine.