I was surprised at the control that it had, and even though they wouldn’t let customers play with them, I could buy them if I wanted to. I believe that the booth was overcharging customers for these toys, as I saw this one on the Syma site for fifty dollars less.

The Syma S026 Micro Chinook Cargo Transport 3 Channel Indoor RC RHelicopter is “the world’s smallest and lightest” and it is “designed for indoor flight only”.

The control is so good, that a similar device was used as a prop to play floating fairies in a performance of the classic William Shakespeare comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I’ve included a video of this after the jump if you want to see it for yourself.

Hey, if stagehands can be confident with the hovering controls of a product like this, then I’m actually surprised that we don’t see more toys like this.

I really think Lego needs to get on the indoor flying bandwagon and make something like this. However, if you want something that you don’t have to make out of bricks, then you should be able to head over to the Hobby eStore and lay down about $32.80.

First you must assemble of course, but once you’ve jacked in the included motors and electronics you’re ready to rumble. Not only can you control your dino’s movements via remote, he (or she) roars and reacts to sound.

There are three play modes to choose from – demo, free and R/C mode. You will require a mix of AA and AAA batteries for the whole thingamajic to work with each other, where you can choose from the T-rex or stegosaurus models for $39.99 a pop.

Some people have this astounding ability to take a bowling ball and actually knock down all of the pins.  For those of us that don’t have that ability, there’s finally the RC900.  It’ll make sure those pesky bowling pins finally get knocked down where they belong.  This bowling ball is controlled by a remote and is easily able to dodge all kings of obstacles, like the gutter for example.

Alright, so it’s actually marketed towards kids and those with physical limitations.  Lack of hand-eye coordination is a physical limitation, right?  The bowling ball is able to steer by adjusting the position of the weight screwed onto a threaded shaft within the ball.  The sad news is, it’s a pretty obvious remote control, so there’s no way to fake out your friends on this one.  Plus it’ll cost you $1500 from 900 Global.

Source: Neatorama

Any toy that teaches kids about alternative energy in a way that makes it fun for them is definitely okay in my book.  I’ve seen some that are kits and a bit more complicated.  Honestly, I think that this car is one of the best approaches I’ve seen.  It goes for the subtle angle, it’s a fun remote control car and doesn’t need a single battery to run.

Even kids know the joys of searching for batteries in the house so that their treasured battery-operated toys will work.  Explaining to them that this doesn’t need any and why, is a fantastic way to teach them about renewable energy.  The car itself actually runs on zero-emission hydrogen fuel.  It also utilizes solar energy, so it’ll teach them about a couple of different methods.  It can be purchased for $147.95 through Amazon.

Source: GadgetGrid

This groundbreaking R/C mash up combines the thrill of helicopter flight with the excitement of driving a SWAT truck. Wow! It might look like a stealthy brute of a vehicle – and it is – but this macho truck features a cavernous cargo bay that opens up, upon your command, to reveal a fully-functioning micro helicopter sitting on an auto-elevating launchpad. Incredible! It’s like Thunderbirds meets Airwolf with a highly Hasselhoffian touch of 80s folly thrown in for good measure. Both precision-engineered machines are controlled via a single transmitter with smart shoulder buttons that allow you to switch seamlessly between truck and chopper.

It will take some fair bit of hand-eye co-ordination to keep on alternating between the two as you plan an imaginary assault on the enemy base. One thing though – what happens when the helicopter is in mid-air and you switch over to the truck? Will it just hover there until the subsequent instruction? Guess you’ll need to fork out £59.95 to find out!

This is exactly what you think it is, a toy bat that can be remote-controlled. It is about 13 grams in weight and has a ten inch wingspan to fly like an ornithopter. The i-Fly Vamp comes with an extra pair of wings.

The Vamp has a lightweight rechargeable Lithium Polymer flight battery that is capable of ten minutes of flight time for every half hour’s worth of charging. The controller requires 6 AA batteries to operate.

It even has some eerie green LED eyes for a little extra shock value. Just imagine the trick or treaters coming to your house with this guy!

When they go “trick or treat”, you can just say “trick”, and then swoop this i-Fly Vamp on them. Yeah, make them think that there is some vampire that is going to get them. Ha-ha-ha.

Actually, it probably would take quite some set up to make a trick like that work. I mean, it’s not like the trick-or-treaters can’t see that you’re holding a remote!

Anyway, you should be able to grab the i-Fly Vamp on the Genie Gadgets site for about £19.95.

Source

It moves like the real thing, has scaley skin like the real thing, a flickering tongue like the real thing and it even has a terrifying rattle like the real thing. Because it’s radio-controlled, you can look all innocent while unassuming colleagues get terrorised by this realistic faux-predator. Its design is based on the largest and most dangerous real-life rattlesnake, the Eastern Diamondback, so the likeness is pretty remarkable, and the body is made up of segments, making the movement convincingly slithery.

Not too sure what kind of hiding kids would get when they try to fool their parents with this £29.99 device, but it ought to generate a fair number of laughs from the office.

This spider car is able to accomplish this amazing feat with some sort of vacuum suction, and it can even drive on the ceiling, so I’m told.

The company has taken another step in remote control vehicles by enabling them to follow a laser pointer. Have you ever had fun with your cat by making him or her chase the glowing dot from the laser pointer? It looks like this Air Hog follows the same principle.

I’m not certain which is more fun. The Air Hogs Zero Gravity Laser will follow the laser beam without any emotion, simply because it is programmed to. The cat will go after that laser dot with personality and friskiness, and may or may not go after the laser pointer at all. Of course, your cat can’t climb walls or walk on the ceiling without damaging your house.

If you want to try this out for yourself, the Air Hogs Zero Gravity Laser is available on sites like Toys “R” Us for about $49.95.

Source

Stop right there. Is this serious? Apparently so. Inventor Taku Ichikawa of the University of Electro-Communications in Tokyo is creating this robot for the Robo-One contest in Toyama, Japan.

The Robo-One is sort of a battlebots style competition, and I suppose that thoughts really are the best interface for that. Unfortunately, this is about all the information my sources have about this.

In other words, I have no idea if the user has to “think real hard” in order to get this robot to move, or if thinking about other things will distract the robot as well as the user.

A thought based interface is probably the best choice for any type of robot manipulation. It’s a lot better than that keyboard that the bad guy used to control Deadpool in at the end of that Wolverine movie. I mean, he has to type in “DECAPITATE” for crying out loud.

However, robots that are controlled by our thoughts? That seems a little too science fiction for me. And if there is one thing that science fiction has taught us is that mind and robots don’t mix.

Source1 and Source2

These are the remote controlled cars that can be repeatedly smashed to create unlimited demolition derbies. When the cars are crashed head-on into each other or their hoods and doors will dislodge; a hit to the rear pops the roof and a door (Play Video.) The parts can be easily pushed back into place for continued smashing. The remote controls forward, backward, left, and right movement. Two ramps and four cones are included, allowing you to create obstacle courses or stunts.

We’d strongly recommend getting rechargeable batteries for this though, as the set will require 10 AAA batteries before you can get started. While it has been labeled as “Ages 3 and up”, we’re sure you can come up with some fun game in your drunken haze with the $49.95 Remote Controlled Demolition Derby.

Introducing MaruBot Football League, a new way of playing soccer on the table. As you can see, miniature robots rest safely under glass, and it is up to the four players (two on one team, two on the other) to control them.

These players are moved by joystick controls, and their goal is to make goals. Oddly enough, these robots have LEDs in their eyes that indicate emotions. So if the other team scores a goal, they look flat and sad. If you make a goal, the eyes look wide and happy. Check out a mini photo gallery after the jump to see for yourself.

Apparently, this game is a big hit in Korea, but I have yet to see it where I live in the United States. Then again, it’s not like I visit video arcades anymore.

Perhaps MaruBot Football League could breathe life into the arcades that are still around. That, or perhaps a home version could be made using a billiard table and four remote control robots. Or you could use two robots, as there are two-player versions of MaruBot Football League available.

All I can say is that it looks like fun.

Source

I know when I leave my dog alone for a while, I would feel better if he was occupied by playing with this toy rather than chewing up my garbage. This is assuming that I have nothing better to do on my vacation than operate this toy on the Internet.

Not only is this camera/toy mobile by remote control through the Internet, but the ball that it bears is also remote control as well. In fact, the ball can be charged in the mobile camera itself. I’m not certain how the robot can be charged, or if it can be charged from a distance.

This device is fitted with infrared lenses so that you can see your pet in the dark. The lenses also have covers so your pet’s drool won’t damage the electric peepers. The only question I have is: what happens when your pet tips it over?

Well, the PetCare robot is only a concept for now, but personally, it really is a step in the right direction for pet care from a distance.

Source

I also got a chance to see an interesting toy that I’m surprised I haven’t seen advertised during Spongebob Squarepants.

The Hexbugs come in four forms: the Ant, Inchworm, Crab, and Original. I have described each type from left to right in the photo after the jump.

The Ant ($9.99) “reacts to touch” and will go forward until it hits something, and then will go backward.

The Inchworm ($19.99) looks more insect-like than worm, but it features a control that allow two Inchworms to be controlled at the same time.

The Crab ($14.99) not only looks like a crab but behaves like one as it will hide in a shaded area until loud sound or light will bring it out in the open.

The Original ($9.99) will change direction as it reacts to obstacles in its path, as well as reacting to loud sounds.

Each of the Hexbugs come in five different colors, and are available on the Hexbug website.

Choose between the classic red car design or freak your family out with the spider. Both of them have an inbuilt fan system that creates enough suction to defy gravity while their tracks keep them moving along, letting you tear around the living room wall or kitchen ceiling. Of course, if you’re feeling less adventurous you can always flick their switch and play with them on the floor. Now you can take the fun ALL over the house.

It doesn’t matter whether you settle for the Gravity Defying Spider or Gravity Defying Car – either one will still cost you £29.99. Just make sure you have a pack of rechargeable batteries handy as they will require half a dozen AAs to get up and moving.

This Radio-Controlled Feed Boat will bring your bait and floaters to places that can’t even be reached with the best casting technique. Up to 300m (984ft) from your location. The one-hand control is easy to operate and will take the agile electric boat to the exact spot where the fish are – tracked by the built-in sonar sensor. The 5.3 x 5.4cm (2″ x 2 1⁄10″) display on the remote-control will show you where to find the fish and at which depth the shoal is moving (up to 30m /98ft in 2m/6ft5” units). In addition it will indicate the water temperature (0-40°C) and the absolute water depth as well as all boat movements and activities. The tipper discharges up to 2kg (4.4 lbs) of bait at the touch of a button. Along with your hook bait, too, if you wish.

The Radio-Controlled Feed Boat will be equipped with a couple of powerful jet motors from the 540 Series that are located within the hull, allowing you to navigate safely through severely overgrown waters, making short work of algae and twining plants. Powered by a quartet of AAA batteries that last up to 3 hours, the Radio-Controlled Feed Boat can be yours for £435.

I’m sure that control of these metal monsters must be difficult, but Simon Wittber from the Australian firm Transmin has greatly simplified it using a Wiimote for controls.

That’s right, the very device used to play WiiSports is now playing a new game! I have included a video of their demonstration that you can view after the jump, and it is something to see and hear.

Man, what I wouldn’t give to try this out. Of course, with great power, comes great responsibility. I realize that this cliché from Spider-man is getting worn out, but do you really want to take the blame for hurling a car into building with the accidental flick of a Wiimote? Just knowing that I had that power would be a real kick, though.

So maybe this Wiimote makes the work of grappling easier, but I have another use: Skill Crane. Yes, this Wiimote-powered grapple could be useful on a new type of game show where the contestant must sift through a pile of wrecked cars to get the real prize: a brand new car.

Of course, that new car would probably be smashed, wouldn’t it? Well, I still like the large skill crane idea.

Source

It would appear that someone has put this speed in miniature remote control form with the Picket Rocket, which is most likely the world’s fastest RC car at 161 miles per hour. Designer Nic Case wants to increase that speed to 200 miles per hour.

A 200 mile-an-hour remote control car? What’s next, an RC vehicle capable of a sonic boom? Man, you had better be in the desert when you are playing with this toy! I mean, this thing uses an RC helicopter-style gyro to help with steering.

I’m not certain whether this will ever be mass-marketed, but there has got to be some sort of safety regulations for a product like this. I mean, can you imagine getting hit in the foot with this 150-foot projectile? Ouch.

Anyway, I’m not certain what the fuel of this fast moving vehicle is. Something tells me that it has to be a lot stronger than usual batteries on Tyco R/C cars these days. I would imagine that some type of liquid fuel would be required.

Source

Not only is this SWAT truck feature bells and whistles of sirens, but the roof opens up to reveal a helicopter inside. There is a launch platform that rises, and the chopper takes to the air!

One can only assume that the helicopter is as remote controlled as the truck itself. However, if you notice the YouTube clip after the jump, there doesn’t appear to be any footage of the helicopter landing back in the SWAT truck. You should definitely watch the clip anyway, for the music alone. You got to love those 80s action flick music.

Yeah, I wouldn’t mind having this, back when I was in grade school. Have you ever noticed all the cool toys that they have out now that you are an adult? Ah, you’re only young once, and when you’re there, you better appreciate all the toys you have then, because they just get cooler when you grow up.

According to my source, the truck/helicopter combo will cost about $100, and should be available in the Fall.

Source

Oh, you don’t remember that scene? Me neither. Well, if you want to act out your own version, feel free to purchase many Bladez Terminator Salvation Flying Skulls.

This flying chopper features “realistic battle sound effects”. Of course, I can’t imagine a realistic battle with giant helicopter skulls, but for some reason, I want to put in “pew pew” sounds. I’m assuming these sounds are accessible with the remote control.

It would appear that the user has “precision control”, which must mean that you can do some serious movements with these flying skullicopters. This toy also features blades that fold on impact, which is something that most real helicopters don’t have.

Well, if you know someone who will be considerably freaked out by a flying metal skull, this might be worth the £29.99. If you are looking for one of those flying ships that the Terminators actually used in the actual Terminator movies, you might have to wait longer, like 2018.

Source