Vstone goes affordable with Robovie-i
![](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/PO8zZyZKXmWF5ihIuwKR_Q--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTcwNTtoPTM1Mw--/https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/0MxDbkKLP6kZKg7vY5rdZQ--~B/aD0yMTM7dz00MjU7YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b24-/http://www.engadget.com/media/2006/05/vstone01.jpg)
Our favorite consumer robotics firm has just announced a new addition to their lineup, but unlike their other multi-thousand dollar offerings, Vstone's new build-it-yourself Robovie-i will retail for a very affordable $270 when the pre-order period begins in July. You may remember the Japanese company as manufacturing such humanoid bots as the soccer-playing Manus-I and Robovie-V, or the Gigantor-like Tetsu-jin 28, although at less than 10% of the cost of its comrades, you can't expect the 2-foot tall Robovie-i to display the skills or freedom of movement found in other members of its family. In fact, a video of the new model-- which will come in your choice of red, white, blue, or gold -- shows that it does little more than wobble drunkenly back and forth in an amusing attempt at forward motion, although dumping two of them in a sumo ring together elicits a good 15 seconds worth of dizzying action (not exciting ROBO-ONE-type action, mind you, but more like ho-hum Rock'em Sock'em Robot-esque action).
[Via ployer]