All I Want For Christmas Is...
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All I Want For Christmas Is...
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The finest selection of AI-related kits, toys and gadgets available for this holiday season
With Christmas just a few weeks away, it is time for our traditional review of the coolest high-tech gadgets, toys, kits,... and everything even remotely related to Artificial Intelligence. You can purchase all the products included in this review in several Web shops. Why face the crowds at the local mall when you can get all the goodies at the click of a button and have your presents delivered in a few days!
The title of this year's bestseller in the toys department could easily go to My Real Baby. This result of a cooperation of the iRobot Corporation and the toy giant Hasbro is described as a "the most real, dynamic, life-like baby doll available for young girls to take care of and nurture". It is developed by iRobot's Interactive Toy Division, with the goal of building a computer that is aware of its user's emotional state, taking into account all aspects of our humanity. As a result of this research, My Real Baby appears to "grow" over time, becoming more independent by initiating her own preferences, actions and behaviors. It retails for approximately $99.99.
Robot dogs are the hot new thing in the entertainment industry today. Sony started this trend with the first release of Aibo, ERS-110, which was sold out in a few days at $2500. Second generation Aibo, ERS-210, has additional movement in both ears, an increased number of LEDs and touch sensors, photo taking function and voice recognition capabilities, which means that it can show even greater array of emotions than its predecessor. This time there will be no restriction on the number of units produced or the time period for orders: all customers ordering ERS-210 will be able to purchase it at around $1500.
If this price tag is still too much for your budget, a few different robot dogs will match your needs. Choose from Poo-Chi (around $23), Mega-Byte (around $25), Tekno the Robot Puppy (around $40), Big and Lil' Scratch Interactive Dogs ($55) and Rocket - the Wonder Dog (around $130) and find a perfect gift for a future robot builder.
OK, so you overgrew robot dolls and pets, and declare yourself as a serious robot enthusiast. Various specialized lawn mowing and vacuuming robots are available from vendors such as Husqvarna, Electrolux and Friendly Robotics for $800 to $2000. More powerful and sophisticated (while not always more expensive) universal home robots like Cye, CareBot and PeopleBot are also described in previous feature articles.
Lego Mindstorms began shipping to retail stores in September 1998, but is still one of the hottest items on this market. The centerpiece of the Lego Mindstorms system is the RCX programmable brick that receives infrared signals from the transmitter attached to the serial port on your PC. RCX is based on Hitachi H8/3297 microcontroller running at 16MHz and uses different sensors to take input from its environment, process the data (1000 commands per second), and signal up to three motors to turn on and off in forward or reverse at any one of 8 speeds. Several expansion sets are also available, like Robo Sports (robots that grab balls, dodge opponents, etc.) and Extreme Creatures (robots with jaws, claws and similar). Base system retails for approximately $200. The recent introduction of LEGO Mindstorms Vision Command makes it possible to build robots that see and react. The system comes with the fully-functioning USB video camera, recording up to 30 video frames per second, a microphone and a powerful vision recognition software. The price is approximately $125.
Another great choice is Fischertechnik, originally developed in Europe as a prototyping tool for engineers and marketed as "Legos for adults". These systems are a bit more expensive than Legos, but often include metal parts for extra strength. K'nex is another construction set similar to Lego, featuring it's own set of building elements based on beams and connectors.
If you just want to relax and play, several extensible computer games will allow creating editable, rule-based strategies. More details can be found in our feature article on AI in computer games. This year's hit is CogniToy's MindRover, an unconventional 3D strategy/programming game that encompasses the depth of play found in strategy games with a new concept in player control. This game requires that you equip the vehicle (hovercraft, wheeled or treaded) with various sensors, movement components and weapons and program its behavior in a graphical interface where you wire the components together and set their properties. It is an advanced descendant of various "games for programmers" like good old Crobots.
All the kits described above, and even more robot-related stuff can be found at two of my favorite Web shops, Mondo-tronics and Robotbooks.com. But whatever you choose, every AI enthusiast will experience a lot of fun and learning with his new gift. Happy Holidays!