Roboraptor Really Secure WowWee was extra careful with the Roboraptor. The robot even has its feet screwed onto the carrying case.

We were a little disappointed with Robosapien's dog, the big-eared and oddly bland RoboPet, but we have to say that WowWee seems to have redeemed itself with Roboraptor, Sapien's remote-controlled ...

I naturally asked, “They still make Roboraptor?” Granted, that’s probably not the first thing you want to hear after spending $70 on what you’d thought was a bleeding-edge robot toy.

The RoboRaptor [pictured] will launch for $100 in August, which might sooth me, although I may wait to go cheap in October and get one of the ambiguously named Robotpets for $70 instead.

It may be a case of art imitating life with the next generation of Hong Kong's belching, dancing Robosapien, which is armed with artificial intelligence and a personality to rival Stars Wars' C3PO.

Roboraptor will take its toll on the bank balance, costing $149, but it has something of a pedigree, with its predecessor, Robosapien, winning top honours last year.

The RoboSapien can also control him with his powerful robot mind. Trust me, this demon can rip your stupid Furby to shreds and then excrete the pieces. Keep him away from your Barbies, as well.

Sure, robots like WowWee’s Roboraptor (and its companions, Robopet and Robosapien) are surprisingly capable for $60-to-$200 toys, with wide ranges of motion, touch sensors and powerful software.

May 23, 2006 Mark Tilden is a master roboticist, with his creations for WOWWEE such as Robosapien I and Robosapien II, RoboPet and Roboraptor among the most sought after toys each year and we ...