Have you ever wondered exactly what's going on at your home or office when you're not there? Now you can keep tabs on the action thanks to a new robot called the Rovio. WowWee's WiFi-enabled Rovio, clearly one of the cooler things to be unveiled at this year's CES, contains a webcam that you can control from anyplace that has an internet connection. You can even stream the video from Rovio on your Internet enabled mobile phone or video game console. Rovio also captures audio, just in case you ever wanted to find out what your partner is saying about your latest project.

There are any number of uses for Rovio including watching your pets or children and having web conferences with your family or your colleagues at work. The robot runs on a rechargeable battery. If the battery level becomes low you can press a button to send Rovio back its charging station.

Northstar, a smart navigation and positioning system, is the key to Rovio's accuracy in moving from place to place. The robot can easily be trained to avoid the obstacles that can be found in a cluttered room. Rovio even contains LED illumination to help navigate in the dark. Video and audio stream quickly using the 802.11b and g standards.

Look for Rovio to hit stores towards the end of 2008. While you might think this gadget would cost a pretty penny, WowWee claims the robot will retail for $299. Now it's up to you to keep your eyes open for someone else using Rovio to watch you.



A PimpWiz Exclusive by Scott Bernstein

Labels: robotics, Scott Bernstein