What is with these dinosaurs that attracts humans so much? Is it their power and the fear of them? If yes then Tyrannosaurus Rex should be the most popular dinosaur of all. It looks like people at Wow Wee International thought the same and they created the Roboraptor. It moves like the T. Rex, it roars like T. Rex and it bites like T. Rex but is not T. Rex.
Roboraptor's movements are incredibly realistic, thanks to the fluid biomechanical motion technology. It's built from molded white plastic accented with black and gray stripes, along with blue eyes. It walks on two legs, just like the real T. Rex, moving his head and tail for balance.
The Reptilian has three different moods of operation: hunter, cautious and playful. You can switch between these moods with the easy to use wireless remote control. It's fully programmable and just as with the Robosapien, you can combine his different functions in sequences.
Its multi-sensor environmental awareness allows him to hear, see and feel people and the environment around him. It has multiple touch sensors in the head and tail, while sonic sensors detect sound and direction. It has a strong jaw with powerful snapping action and the ability to pick up objects. Touching the chin sensor when the raptor's in Playful mode causes it to make a slow, purring sound and push its head against your hand.
With the remote, you can command Roboraptor to march forward, to the left, to the right or backward. It has three forward speeds, with the fastest equivalent to a slow human walking pace. You can also make him bite, swish his tail and move his head. It will occasionally stop and smell for prey, with an audible sniffing sound.
The monster responds remarkably fast to the stimuli: any detected motion causes a quick jerk of the head, sniff and action. You can guide him using an infrared guidance system and a green light. It will follow the light if you shine it on the floor or wall. Its sonic sensors trigger similar reactions - it will follow the sound.
After about three minutes without a remote command, the dinosaur goes into free-roam mode, moving through its surroundings and avoiding obstacles detected through an infrared sensor. Roboraptor also listens through a tiny microphone and will respond to sudden loud sounds (like hand clap). After around 10 minutes of roaming, Roboraptor shuts down to conserve his battery power. You also can put Roboraptor in guard-mode, where it will sit quietly until an object comes within a few feet or there's a loud noise. Then it will roar and shimmy. It powers down after about 30 minutes on duty. There is also a demo button so you can see all 40 commands it is capable of.
The dinosaur is powered by six AA batteries, which supply enough juice to run him for 2 1/2 hours on a hard floor or two hours on carpet. The remote takes three AAA batteries
The Monster has a great personality: his eyes, moves, eating sounds, sniffing and roar - you will really like him.
It can't truly run or turn all that well. It also has a tendency to tip over on its head when taking a bite. Nevertheless it's worth its $120 price.
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
Great for Non-Perfectionists
(PcMag)
rating: 4.0
(amazon)
rating: 3.5
