Recreational Robotics Service Robots

Top 10 Robotic Christmas Gifts for Children, Women and Men for 2012

LEGO Mindstorms NXT 2.0 Kit

The value of an object is important and not its price, and because we’re very close to the Christmas gifts season we should take a look at robotic gifts for kids and adults. There are three categories which we will take into account, all of these are very different in order not to mix the types of gifts. There is a large variety of robots for sale, not to mention related merchandise and robotic toys. Today we can choose between a robot used in chicken or an intelligent vacuum cleaner, a robotic toy for a children under 16 years old who fulfills his dream of becoming a James Bond, or a robotic kit used to build robots from passion.

Choosing the right robotic gift is not an easy task even for those in the field. No matter how detailed the instructions for use should be, an intelligent machinery requires special attention and often manages to awaken our feelings of anger and frustration, the level of knowledge required for a certain robot should be considered as one of the main factors when choosing such a gift.

A robot could be seen as a toy even by a younger or an older person. Even if we give a t-shirt or an advanced humanoid robot which is very expensive, we have to choose the best gift for that person. In the following I made gift lists with robotic products divided in three categories.

[yellow_box]Read about our Top Robotic Christmas Gift Ideas for 2014[/yellow_box]

Gift Ideas for Children

Children are very curious and this is reflected in toys trends which are increasingly complex. Toys have their role in developing a child’s intelligence and therefore we have to choose the toys that are age appropriate. A robot can be used for educational purposes as well for entertainment. Below you can find 10 gift ideas with prices ranging from a few dollars and up to hundreds of dollars.

Kid Galaxy

Kid Galaxy
Kid Galaxy Toy

Kid Galaxy is a perfect toy for girls or boys with age between 3 and 5 years. For control there are two buttons which move the eyes and make the robot to spin. There is also a function of sound and lights playing in synchronized fashion. The price is about $20.46 which is not very expensive to create the delight of children.

Keepon

Keepon
Keepon Dancing Toy

Keepon is an adorable yellow interactive robot which likes to dance on the music. It has integrated sensors which react to touch, pokes, or petting. At about $63 it could be a perfect musical gift for children up to 6 years old.

Robopanda

Robopanda
Robopanda

Robopanda from WowWee is an intelligent robot with interactive functions used to play games, sing songs, and chat. It’s more than a traditional teddy bear, this is a toy which can move and can be controlled by sounds or touch. At a price of $83 this could be used as a gift for children with 8 years old and up.

Robo-kid Costume

Robo-kid
Robo-kid Costume Front View

All children want to dress up like cartoon characters or heros from movies, and all children want to be robots at some point. This android costume can transform a child into a robot for only $98. It is build from polystyrene and contains a hood, coat with attached gloves, pants and bootcovers.

FemiSapien

FemiSapien
FemiSapien Side View

Is not just a doll, is an intelligent doll for girls and why not for boys interested in smart toys. FemiSapien is an interactive toy which can sing along or play music. Used for entertainment, the doll has 36 functions and 20 interactive routines. The hands have four degrees of freedom and are used to dance. The toy has a price about $179.95 which is not too cheap.

mOway

mOway
mOway Kit

mOways is an educational kit which can be used to introduce children to robotics programming. It comes with a very well structured manual and step by step information about electronics and robotics. The starting price is about $190 and the package contains the kit, a manual, and a CD with software. There’s also a Raspberry Pi kit containing the board and detailed instructions on how to program the robot using Scratch.

Wall-E Transforming Eve

Wall-E Transforming Eve
Wall-e Transforming Eve Front View

Wall-E Transforming Eve is cute and intelligent toy used for interaction. It has transform button in the back to move the head, arms and chest. This is not a cheap toy, it comes with a price of $259.90.

i-Que

i-Que
i-Que Personal Robot

Latest idea toy is i-Que which could be called the smartest robot. This is an educational toy which can speak a lot of words, it contains the Merriam Webster student dictionary. i-Que moves on wheels back and forth, and it has attached a remote control which can be used by user to control all robot functions. Used for interaction, the robot can recognize someone’s voice and can maintain a conversation.

Using sensors i-Que can move around the house and can detect and avoid the obstacles. When the battery is almost done, the robot uses its guide to return at docking station for recharging. The price for this educational and interactive toy is $599.99.

Gift Ideas for Women

Robots are made for all people and women are equally attracted to robots as men. A t-shirt with a printed robot, an accessory with a robotic theme, or a personal assistance robot could be a wonderful gift for a women. Before talking a little about women’s robotic gifts, I must recognize that is not an easy task to find a good gift for a woman, especially robotics related.

Magnetic Photo Holder

Magnetic Photo Holder
Magnetic Photo Holder

Even is a symbolic gift, this Bot Robot is cute and could be used also at home or at office. It could be a wonderful gift for a woman which loves robots and likes to surround herself by photos as well. The price is about $8.95.

Tea Infuser

Armed with Technology tea infuser
Tea Infuser

A cup of tea is welcome anytime even if we’re at office or at home, and especially when you’re served by a robot. Tea Infuser is an empty metal frame with a space to store tea and two arms that are placed on the cup. The price for this robotic tea infuser is $14.99.

Robots Rock! Mug

Robots Rock! Mug
Robots Rock! Mug

A cup of coffee can complement a cup of tea like above. CafePress has a retro design for toy lovers in the 50’s style. The price for this cup of coffee is $15.00.

ROBOT99 iPad2 Cover

Robot99 iPad 2 cover
ROBOT 99 iPad 2 Cover

The value of the object is important and not its price. Since tablets are used by almost everyone, an iPad 2 cover with a robot designed is perhaps one of the most beautiful gifts which can be bought. ROBOT 99 cover includes a built-in magnetic closure and full access to all ports and cameras. The price is about $ 59.99.

Autom

Autom

Autom is an intelligent assistant robot which can be used by women to keep a diet program. This robot encourages to keeping a regular diet and to eat a limited number of calories. The device stores an agenda with the daily diet and remembers every exercise made. It can speak and also speech patterns could be downloaded via Internet.
In conclusion if you want to start a severe diet Autom could be one of the best gifts for this purpose, for pricing plans please check out the official website.

Gift Ideas for Men

Men are attracted by technology at early ages which means the task of choosing such a gift should be easier. A robotic kit or a modular platform could be a perfect gift for a man, and why not a robotic lawn mower or a quadrocopter. There are too many options, from intelligent objects that can be used daily and up to complex machines that can interact with the user. In the following I made a list of 10 robotics products that could be interesting gifts.

Samsung Navibot S

Samsung Navibot S
Samsung Navibot S

With a long list of improvements from the first version, Navibot S can tackle at least one household tasks, being equally helpful for men and women. Navibot S is one of the best robot vacuum cleaners on the market and could be purchased at a not so friendly price of $1299.

[yellow_box]Read more about Samsung Navibot S[/yellow_box]

It has a slim body and fits in all places. Also it has integrated improved dust sensors which have the task to maintain the control of the robot until the surface is perfectly clean. Navibot S is designed to be used for floors, carpets, or soiled areas. It is a good worker with a 25 square meter area cleaned in a record time of 11 minutes. About the garbage, it has a new system which is used when the dustbin is full. This new system allows the robot to empty the dustbin in the docking station. Total space for garbage is now 2 liters which is enough to clean the entire house.

Robot in Use T-Shirt

Robot in Use
T-Shirt Robotic Style

A t-shirt is welcome anytime especially when the printed topic are robots. The price for this simple gift is $18.95.

Mudpuppy Robot Wall Clock

 Mudpuppy Robot Wall Clock
Robot Wall Clock

A robot that shows you what time it is could be a perfect gift for every man. At a price of $22.00 this decorative analog wall clock shows time with robotics precision.

Save the Robots Handmade Cap

Save the Robots Handmade Cap
Save the Robots Cap

Save the Robots is a hand made robotic theme cap which can be purchased at a price of $50.00.

Parrot AR.Drone

Parrot AR.Drone
Parrot AR.Drone Quadricopter

With Parrot AR.Drone we entered in the area of intelligent robotic gifts. Controlled using an iPod touch, iPhone, iPad, or any Android devices, the quadricopter is the perfect source for entertainment. Could be used also to play real robotic games indoors as well as outdoors. The drone can be remote controlled through an iOS app, and has integrated sensors and a camera used to send images or for stability. The price for this flying gift is $260.29.

LEGO Mindstorms NXT 2.0

8547 Mindstorms NXT
LEGO Mindstorms NXT 2.0 Kit

Who has not heard of LEGO! The 8547 Mindstorms robotic kit could be a perfect entertainment toy which put to the test the imagination of users. At a price of $267.83, in the same package you have no one, no two, countless combinations of robots. It can be a gift for both robot enthusiasts and for those who want to experiment in the field. From 619 LEGO pieces users could build a lot of robots with different structures and shapes.

AL5A Robotic Arm Combo Kit

AL5A Robotic Arm Combo Kit
AL5A Robotic Arm Combo Kit

AL5A Arm is another robotic kit which can be used especially for any passionate about programming. The price for this kit is $492.20 and includes the FlowStone Development Software.

ASIMO Robot Costume Suit

ASIMO Robot Costume Suit
ASIMO Robot Costume Suit

Regardless of age ASIMO Costume Suit is built for everyone who wants to become a robot at least for a short period of time. At a price of around $530 is available a 180 cm height suit including the head, body, hands, gloves, feets and leggings pieces.

85400 Robomower

85400 Robomower

The last and the most expensive gift for a man is a 85400 Robomower with a price of $1700, This could be a perfect gift for a man who needs to cut the lawn in front of the house, or can use this as an excuse anyway. Such intelligent machine takes over lawn maintenance tasks entirely and can be programmed to repeat the task whenever needed. It can cut the lawn on 4,500 square feet with one battery recharge. It is safety and disperses the cut grass over the ground. This could be a perfect gift for a man with too many tasks in and around the house.

[yellow_box]Read about our Top Robotic Christmas Gift Ideas for 2014[/yellow_box]

Hopefully you could find some inspiration in our article for the holidays to come, or if you have different ideas feel free to share them!

Author

Dragos George is an IT analyst who graduated Faculty of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, specialization Industrial Automation and Informatics with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering, Automation and Computer Science. He has a great passion for robots and web development.

1 comment Add New Comment

  1. DS says:

    Perhaps suggestions like these (an assistant to help a woman stay on a diet?! rather than the LEGO Mindstorms robot or perhaps the Arduino-based starter kit?) are why women don’t seem to go into comp sci. Why should the suggestions be based on gender anyway? It isn’t the 1950s anymore!

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.