Omnibo2007 i-sobot

The Omnibo2007 i-SOBOT made by Takara Tomy is the smallest 2-legged robot in the world, Guinness-certified “smallest humanoid robot in production . It's just 6.5-inch (96x67x165mm) and weighs only 350g. The micro-sized high-tech i-SOBOT is equipped with 17 servo motors provided throughout the body and an internal gyro-sensor gives it maximum flexibility. It is capable of making different kinds of smooth motions while automatically balancing itself. It features five operational modes: (1) remote control mode; (2) programmed mode; (3) special action mode; (4) voice control mode (for dictating simple actions); and (5) dance mode. It can also move while outputting words (speaking vocabulary of over 200 words and phrases in English), sound effects, music, etc. from a built-in speaker.

The i-SOBOT remote control has a built-in LCD display with intuitive icons for easy motion sequence entry. The controller/robot communication is done using a well known IR format similar to television remote controls.The i-SOBOT can play music, dance, and respond to applause and other user actions. The bot can also make its own punching and kicking sound effects, so we can imagine some entertaining robo-duels with a pair of these things. By the way, have you ever seen a toy robot that can do push-ups? Or get up on its feet by itself without you having to lift it up? It goes on sale in July from toymaker Takara Tomy. The English website and price are still “coming soon,” but since this dancing, push-upping wunderbot runs about $258 (31,290 yen)in Japan.

The company also announced that they will be releasing the older brother of the tiny bot, the Omnibot2007 i-SOBOT CAMVersion, in October. The CAMversion has an internal camera that sneakily snaps photos and sends images wirelessly to your PC or cellphone via WiFi, and whose head can swivel 60 degrees in each direction. The CAMVersion bot will run you 41,790 yen ($344 US) when it debuts in October.

Takara Co., Ltd. was a Japanese toy company founded in 1955. Takara merged with another prominent Japanese toy company, Tomy Co., Ltd., on March 1, 2006