WowWee's New Robots Have Funny Streak

WowWee, makers of Robosapien and other popular robots, is showing off its new line of robots at CES. Humor is a big theme among the zany new lineup. One departure from that thread is a somewhat creepy-looking roving Wi-Fi-enabled robot designed to be a remote connection with home.

Expect to see more roving robots like the Rovio (pictured top), which streams audio and video to and from remote locations. (iRobot will be testing its ConnectR this year with families, some of which will use it to keep parents and children in touch from afar. iRobot's Nancy Dussault Smith said the company hoped to get 500 takers for the beta testing through word of mouth, but stopped the beta signups at 11,000.)

Back to WowWee, Robosapien has a new look, a new name (Tribot), and a new friend, FemiSapien, a dancing robot that re-creates movements you give her. She'll be available in September for $99.

My favorite was Wrex the Dawg ($149). Designed as a junkyard dog made of pretend scaps of junk and a bit of a ham, Wrex has four programming buttons. He talks and has a sense of humor, playing a dramatic dead when you point your finger at him and pretend to shoot. After collapsing to the ground in a dramatic dying scene, Wrex utters: "Can you say 'Oscar'?"