Transformers fans should really get their hands on this awesome toy. The self-transforming Transformer robot is an impressive gadget from Japanese toy manufacturer Takara Tomy and has just gone into production.
Takara Tomy first revealed the self-transforming robot at the Tokyo Toy Show 2013. The Transformer bot was displayed together with a Zoids line robotic lion. Both gadgets were controlled via an iPhone.
Self-transforming Transformer Robot by Takara Tomy
As its name indicates, the self-transforming robot is able to transform from its car shape into humanoid shape by itself. This is achieved with the help of over a dozen servo motors. The process is not very fast, because the servo motors are too small to pack enough power to support a speedier transformation.
The robot is not yet able to walk either, but manufacturers expect to develop stronger servo motors that will be able to support walking movements in the future.
The Zoids lion displayed at the Toy Show was able to walk on its four limbs, as it uses the same technology as Tomy’s robotic dog, the i-SODOG.
Both gadgets will be marketed under the Transformers and Zoids brands, but Takara Tomy has not yet offered any details as to when they may be officially released for sale and what their retail prices might be.
One thing is for certain, though: the transforming robots will NOT sell for the staggering amount of $24,000 a piece. This is how much one-man-wonder Kenji Ishida, the first to launch a self-transforming robot car line, made from selling only one robot. And he made about ten.
self-transforming robot
It is yet unclear whether Ishida will collaborate with Tomy on the new line. According to Gizmag, the Japanese inventor expressed his desire to be involved in the project, saying that he believes he can improve the look of the self-transforming robot.
Takara Tomy has had a long history of incorporating state-of-the-art tech in its toys. It was them that manufactured the first Transformer robot toys back in the 1980s. Known as Microman and Diaclone, these were really amazing toys, so it is easy to imagine what the self-transforming bots will be like.