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WowWee's FlyTech Bladestar can govern your home autonomously
Indoor flying toys aren't hard to come by these days, but WowWee's hoping you'll still be willing to drop a little bit of coin on indoor aerial supremacy. First introduced at CES, the $50 FlyTech Bladestar has helicopter-like blades for hovering, and built-in infrared sensors to avoid obstacles. You can control the Bladestar with the included remote, or stick it in autopilot mode to watch it avoid obstacles and even "push" it yourself by walking up to it. If it's war you're after, you can put the toy in "dogfight" mode to use the infrared signal as a weapon against an unfriendly Bladestar: three hits and you'll be testing WowWee's claims of crash-resistance. The Bladestar is available now. Cheesy Saturday-morning advertisement is after the break.
Video: WowWee Bladestar takes to the (indoor) skies
We caught up with the WowWee Bladestar in the wild to snag some video footage of this Cylon killing machine battery-powered flying wonder. Hat tip to Veronica Belmont and the Mahalo Daily team for the special CES video coverage, after the jump.
Hands-on with WowWee Mr. Personality, Rovio, and Bladestar
What can we say? WowWee knows how to build themselves some entertaining bots. Of the three though, the flying Bladestar tickled us the most fancy. Unlike that mini helicopter you likely unboxed during the holidays, the Bladestar is actually controllable and able to maintain proximity to its user instead of flying off props-first into the family portrait. The WiFi-enabled home exploration Rovio is a novel idea with that NorthStar navigation. A system which uses a projector to cast a pair of red spots on the ceiling which Rovio will use to calculate its way home. Add pet and you've got instant fun. The three-wheelin' Mr. Personality Tribot features a "Wii-like" remote control which can send the bot off like a typical RC car. Something we wanted to do after just a few seconds of its 10 minute program of inane chatter. Expect to see the Bladestar in Target stores (exclusively) around February for a reasonable $49, the Rovio by summer for $299, and Mr. Annoying Personality sometime this fall for $99. Plenty of video on the way in a few.%Gallery-12656%
WowWee introduces Mr. Personality, Rovio, and Flytech Bladestar
WowWee's CES robot lineup is here, so let's get to it. First up, you've got the Flytech Bladestar, a slightly crazier take on the indoor RC flying gig actually intended for duels with friends. The Bladestart has two spinning wings and stabilizing rotors to keep it steady while aloft, as well as wall and ceiling IR sensors.Rovio is a "home exploration and telepresence" robot (meaning it doesn't do very much), featuring WiFi, a remotely-controlled directional webcam capable of streaming audio and video, self-docking and recharging, and "NorthStar" AI navigation (which WowWee describes as a micro-GPS like system that makes Rovio aware of its surroundings with "pinpoint accuracy").If neither of those caught your fancy, we think the ironically anthropomorphized Mr. Personality might meet you in the middle. Featuring an LCD facial readout, downloadable personalities (via USB and SD), Ruxpin-esque story and joke telling and "conversation", as well as the usual IR and audio sensors.%Gallery-12641%
