i-SOBOT

The basics

The i-SOBOT is a pre-assembled robot that measures 6.5x3.8x2.6inches and runs on three AAA batteries that last approximately 60 minutes under normal operation. It has a built in gyro sensor, built-in speaker unit and built-in microphone with a voice recognition chip.

The good

You can try for years to train your poodle to say ‘Sausages’ and still be disappointed when the Britain’s Got Talent auditions roll round. No such problems with i-Sobot, who will obey your every whim, using 17 servo units to caper through 150 pre-set moves in an amusing fashion or follow your very own programmed directions. Unlike the dog (or even your kids) it will respond promptly to ten spoken commands, and there are hidden moves and phrases to find.

The bad

The human race has nothing to fear from homicidal i-Sobots rising up in cybernetic rebellion. With their rechargeable batteries lasting little over half an hour and a battery compartment that’s far to fiddly for chunky robot digits to open, we flesh-bots can simply cower behind the sofa until they run out of charge. The remote control is a bit over-complicated, too.

The bottom line

Small, smart and stealthy enough to use as a tiny robotic assassin, as long as your intended victim lives no further away than next door and is fatally susceptible to cute dances or pitifully weak karate blows.