CES In Pictures: WowWee's New Robots

From in-home surveillance robots to flying battle bots, WowWee is showing more than 20 new robots at the Consumer Electronics Show this week in Las Vegas. Here's a sneak peek at the company's 2008 robot lineup.

By Tim Moynihan, PCWorld

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Rovio, the Home Survellance Robot

The $300 Rovio has a video camera, microphone, and Wi-Fi capabilities on board. The three-wheeled omnidirectional robot can stream video from its camera to remote locations with a broadband-connected Windows PC or smartphone. The robot is WowWee's first foray into remote home surveillance and "telepresence." It's making its debut at CES 2008; check for our ongoing CES coverage at http://www.pcworld.com/ic/CES/. -- By Tim Moynihan

Rovio Recharging

Rovio can maneuver on its own; it doesn't have to be supervised continuously by remote control. The robot stores information about the location of furniture and various objects in the home to avoid collisions, and can cruise around on its own when prompted. It will even retreat to its docking station (pictured here) when it needs to recharge its battery. Rovio is slated to hit stores this fall.

FemiSapien: The Female of the Species

WowWee is also targeting some new robots at women and girls. FemiSapien is a female humanoid robot that dances to music it "hears" via its onboard microphone, and can control other robots in WowWee's lineup. The $100 robot reacts to voice commands and even human touch. It is scheduled for release in late summer.

Tri-Bot Tells Jokes

WowWee's popular Robosapien line moves to the next generation with Tri-Bot, a three-wheeled omnidirectional robot, also scheduled for release in the summer. Tri-Bot boasts animated eyebrows to go along with its joke-telling skills. The $100 robot also has a motion-sensitive remote control that allows the user to steer it simply by tilting the remote.

FlyTech BladeStar Soars (Indoors)

The FlyTech BladeStar is a helicopter-like flying robot that can either be controlled via remote or set to autopilot. Its onboard sensors prevent it from colliding with other objects. Its "Dogfight" accessory allows two BladeStar owners to engage in aerial combat. BladeStar, priced at $50, will be available exclusively at Target starting in February.

Mr. Personality -- Your Robotic Buddy

Boasting a color LCD screen for a face, WowWee's Mr. Personality robot is designed for laughs. It tells jokes, plays games, and you can even update or revamp its personality traits by downloading your selection and loading the changes into Mr. Personality with a USB connection. Priced at $250, Mr. Personality is scheduled to be available this summer.