Toys That Feel Your Pain

This four-legged intelligent life form is equipped with multi-directional movement capabilities and advanced sensory awareness, including an infrared beam vision system that permits him to spot movement up to 13” away and sound sensor technology that allows reaction to possible intruders. Roboquad features multicolored flashing lights and funky sound effects, and his remote control has an eight-way directional pad. He can function either by remote or autonomously. Launch date: Fall 2007.

This lovable plush toy features recording/playback technology that realistically recreates a mother’s voice. The toy also features several “teach modes” to promote number, color and anatomy recognition. “Unlike other recordable/playback products, this item is age-graded safe for very young children (18-24 months),” Chief Marketing Officer Jim Huntley of Tomorrow Incorporated told TDmonthly. Christine Simmons of Tomorrow Incorporated's media department added, ""Recordable novelty toys can easily be recorded over or deleted by a child accidentally during play. Talking Mama Bear recordings are captured in the bear module in a way that makes it difficult to delete." Launch date: March 2008.

Triggered by movement or impact, the water-resistant Britepack sets off a pattern of LED lights and shuts off when not in use. An added fun feature to an ordinary school item, the Britepack serves as a safety feature in urban areas so kids can be more readily seen in traffic or other low-light situations. Designs are available in various styles and sizes and include 16” wheeled and non-wheeled (all Britepacks are equipped with shoulder-straps) for toddlers, kids and adults. "Parents who worry about their kids carrying a heavy backpack often lean towards rolling bookbags…unfortunately, kids don’t think they’re very cool," Christine Simmons of Tomorrow Inc's media department told TDmonthly. "But with the Britepack, parents get what they want (a safe bookbag that can also be seen at night) and kids get what they want (a trendy and fun school accessory)!" Launch date: December 2007.

In this innovative musical sequence game, an internal computer chooses a “preview sequence” of three notes at random, and then plays them embedded with a melodic strain. Players push a button when they recognize the original triad within the sequence. The higher you score, the faster the music plays, increasing the challenge. This game stimulates ear training, and multiple units can be wired together so that two or more can play at once. Blinking lights add interest to the music being played.

With a full-color LCD screen, hand-mounted tweeters and a back-mounted woofer, a USB connector and MPE and MP4 playback, RS Media can display and store data easily from a PC. Users can utilize the personality editor to edit his movements, sound and video files, and even programming. Launch date: Fall 2007.

MEZCO Toyz joined forces with Warner Bros. Studios to breathe life into some otherwise very dead characters. MEZCO released the second Cinema of Fear series of Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street Deluxe Plush characters combining highly detailed roto-cast heads, hands and feet with a plush body and removable fabric outfit. Jason Voorhees from "Friday the 13th Part 2" features the “sack mask” look he experimented with before settling on his hockey mask and includes pick axe accessory. Each stands approximately 13" tall.

This spy robot, equipped with a video camera, microphone, loudspeaker and two motors, can be controlled from a computer through WiFi connection, and from anywhere via the Internet. Able to move, take photos and record video and sound, the robot acts as a telephone, digital music player and video surveillance device, whereby it sends email alerts upon detecting movement. Spykee returns to his charging station when his battery is running low. Spykee “is not only an erector set, in which you can build three different models, but also a high-tech electronic toy with practical use — fun for both kids and adults!” Marsha Cannonie of Nikko America told TDmonthly. Launch date: September 2007.

We've all seen the “Dance Dance Revolution” craze and the myriad plastic floor pad knockoffs. Now, Applied Sciences, a company with real scientists, is introducing a laser-triggered "pad" that works with no moving parts (except feet), and only floor to dance on. The player dances between laser beams to any type of DDR game: “Stepmania,” “In the Groove” and “Dance Dance Revolution” itself. A. Smyth (a real scientist) said the reaction to the prototype — from retailers, schools, kids, college students and old fogies — has been overwhelming: "We totally underestimated the response." The first human to test the completed prototype, Smyth explained that the coolest thing about playing it was "the fact that the floor had become the controller. For most people, though, the coolest things are the lasers."

The large brown plush bear responds to a wireless wand that is used for interaction and decision-making. A child simply holds the wand, which detects speed and the positioning of the hand, to activate the bear. The teddy bear dances to music and laughs when his stomach is tickled. The product is based on platform technology to later support learning games and an interactive storybook through software. “Mino is the first robotic toy developed with this technology. [It’s] a robotic bear that actually plays with you, and learns with you as time progresses,” Rhoel Abraham, product manager for the specialty division at Kittrich, told TDmonthly. Launch date: September 2007.

Nintendo’s Wii is distinct from other video game consoles because it has the wireless Wii Remote. This device detects motion, so that game-players can simulate the movement of their game rather than just press buttons. Players whose game character is swinging a sword, for example, make swinging motions to get their character to act. With a BM PowerPC-based CPU, a Wii Optical Disc, 512MB Internal flash memory, and online services such as Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, WiiConnect24, Virtual Console and Wii Channels, Wii also delivers great performance. Launch Date: November 19, 2006.

Sony's latest AIBO(r) Entertainment Robot, model ERS-7M3-- bundled with the new AIBO MIND 3 software helps the four-legged companion perform an array of new tricks. The software enhancement package enables AIBO to say more than 1,000 English words to communicate with its owner, in addition to recognizing many Spanish words and phrases for the first time. It now also has the ability for short term memory mapping and news reads through a version of web syndication called RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds.

The Vexor is the ultimate fifth dimension trick. Players match scrambled colored pegs to corresponding lights without knowing the order.