MechRC is here to dance, not enslave

Say what you want about robots being our future overlords and all that, but we think they're really just here to boogie. I mean, if all you wanted to do was get your groove on but some engineer kept programming you to scare prisoners or little children, you might go looking for a little payback too, right? Thankfully there's MechRC, a 17-servo kit newly available in the Americas that, despite his menacing visage, should do wonders to soothe human-robot relations through a vast array of funky moves. Thanks to what looks to be some easy to use (though sadly not Mac compatible) software, would-be robo-choreographers of nearly any age should be able to sharpen their teeth here, and while $599 isn't exactly impulse-buy territory, that's considerably cheaper than many of the other robot kits we've covered before -- and some of them can't even shake their tail feather! MechRC sure can, just check out the "Evolution of Dance" homage after the break. Judson Laipply, you just got served!

[FreeRange @ Nov 21st 2008 11:21AM]

I just read the title and thought, "Give him time..."

[David Russell @ Nov 21st 2008 11:29AM]

Although I am impressed with the dancing... has NO ONE seen what robots will do to us in the near future? Has NO ONE in Japan seen such tales of horror as 'Terminator' or 'Transformers' ?!?!? And what exactly is the robot doing with his right hand in the beginning of the video?

[OneLove @ Nov 21st 2008 6:13PM]

judgment day is coming!!!! (time to leave work, TGIF)

[rock99rock @ Nov 21st 2008 11:25AM]

That thing is QUITE nimble. Much faster moving than i thought it would be. They play it off to be fun and full of dance moves, but all i see is that red eye...

[Ayman @ Nov 21st 2008 11:52AM]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtGQgSY9Nn4
thats a better dancer

[Eli Gundry @ Nov 21st 2008 5:57PM]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHg5SJYRHA0

He's a good dancer also.

[White @ Nov 21st 2008 11:25AM]

It looks like a new RED product

[NeoK-182 @ Nov 21st 2008 11:34AM]

haven't laughed that hard in a really really really long time. i want one nowz lol.

[StalematE @ Nov 21st 2008 11:37AM]

The first few seconds of his little number... looks like he's beating off.

[phanbouy fan fan @ Nov 21st 2008 12:07PM]

oh great, now everyone's an armchair robopornographer

[marky-b @ Nov 21st 2008 12:35PM]

all the good stuff starts at 2:20. fastforward if you can lol

[RijilV @ Nov 21st 2008 11:35AM]

Whatever, that thing was built for enslaving.

[nanomatrix @ Nov 21st 2008 11:39AM]

The break dancing via the read link is a hit at all your social parties, play Optimus Prime Move out in sequence with some techno music and it would be so awesome... now where can I find 599 dollars and 2 hours to make it do my bidding....

[AMiSH PiRATE @ Nov 21st 2008 11:41AM]

All I interpret from this is that when the war comes, humans will be forced to use OSX for fear of the machines hacking windows or linux. Because robots aren't mac compatible.

(side note: anyone else reminded of robot chicken's voltron/you got served bit?)

[John @ Nov 21st 2008 11:47AM]

for the first few minutes of the video i just thought, "oh this is cool." but then the robot did a handstand, sideways, and i began to weep and bowed down to my new overlord.

[konshuss @ Nov 21st 2008 11:47AM]

~You can dance if you want to, just don't blow up the entire planet, 'cuz a robot that fries my friends til they die is.. no friend of mine...~

[Scott @ Nov 21st 2008 11:53AM]

We no longer say yes, instead we say affirmative.

[phanbouy fan fan @ Nov 21st 2008 12:04PM]

The humans are dead!

[Bb @ Nov 21st 2008 2:40PM]

"There is only one kind of dance: The Robot"
"And The Robo-Boogie"
"Oh yes... two kinds of dances"

[fischju @ Nov 21st 2008 11:59AM]

Supreme Commander APC rip-off. Seriously they look almost exactly the same.

[Electromodo @ Nov 21st 2008 12:25PM]

From the manufacturer's website it is clear that this robot is just a manipulator with a replay option. I hoped it could react on the environment somehow.

If it had a sensor or two and could be programmed with if-else algorythms, then it would be a perfect Aibo descendant! But without sensors $600 start looking as too much...

[K. @ Nov 21st 2008 12:35PM]

It was built to dance on our graves!

[keithwwalker @ Nov 21st 2008 12:37PM]

That's sad, first male robotic prostitution, now this open mic karaoke. That Fox NFL robot is desperate...

[diefldrmas @ Nov 21st 2008 12:42PM]

Look do you not all see it, is it not clear first they take over broadway with their Rockette like dancing then their is the Today Show then Ellen, next its Oprah. This is how they plan to take over the planet one move at a time. It had nothing to do with skye net, it was Broadway, the actors never stood a chance. All we could say was "it was FABULOUS!!"

Maus

[phanbouy fan fan @ Nov 21st 2008 12:08PM]

you spelled your name wrong

[phanbouy fan fan @ Nov 21st 2008 12:51PM]

yeah sure. it's all fun and games until his LazerEye(TM) starts incinerating everyone

[Sentax @ Nov 21st 2008 1:08PM]

Wow, those kind of videos go great with the morning coffee... I haven't laughed at a robot like that since watching iRobot.

[DirtyVegas @ Nov 21st 2008 1:26PM]

Oh man, that was hilarious. Ironically, the Mr. Roboto moves weren't all that great :D

[AranBanjo @ Nov 21st 2008 3:11PM]

I want it!

http://blog.ponchio.it

[phanbouy fan fan @ Nov 21st 2008 3:19PM]

your blog sucks

[Rick @ Nov 21st 2008 6:18PM]

Gort, Klaatu barada nikto!

[kbsig106 @ Nov 21st 2008 10:30PM]

That's nice... Will it blend?

[Limor Schweitzer @ Nov 24th 2008 9:50AM]

Avilable at http://robosavvy.com/store/ for UK/EU roboteers

And if you want to know the true intentions of MechRC robot;
they definitely aren't limited to dance. dance is a decoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RK561g28Yk