Hong Kong's Robosapien that grunts, burps and does kung fu kicks is flying off shelves of global toy stores this Christmas

A Hong Kong robot that burps, does kung-fu kicks and was recently voted the Hamleys Toy of the Year Award, is tipped to be the number one best seller in the global toy market this Christmas. It also recently won the Consumer Product Design Grand Award in the 2004 Hong Kong Awards for Industry.

Created and manufactured by Tsimshatsui-based toy company WowWee, founded by two Canadian brothers Peter and Richard Yanofsky, the 35cm tall Robosapien was invented by former Nasa robotics expert Mark Tilden who joined the company four years ago. His 10 years' experience as a Nasa scientist, when he created robots used on Mars missions, helped Mr Tilden invent Robosapien.

It was reported that more than 1.4 million of the robots have already been snapped up worldwide and that toy shops in the US and UK are demanding more. The Robosapiens, with 67 functions and a few hidden features which can be controlled by a remote control unit, are being produced at a rate of 5,000 a day in two Guangdong factories in southern China.

WowWee's president Peter Yanofky said the birth of this humanoid robot took the firm three years and HK$7.78 million (US$1 million) to develop. "I sported Mark Tilden on Discovery Channel five years ago and took the initiative to call him and send him a ticket to Hong Kong. The rest is history – he never left. Now he is family," he said.

A step in the right direction

Peter took the plunge several years ago to move to Asia's toy capital, Hong Kong. "My brother and I were always inventing things. We strongly felt that to invent properly we needed to be close to a manufacturing base to be able to monitor and have quality control. Hong Kong is close to southern China's factories and that is a major reason I moved to Hong Kong while Richard remained in Canada."

How has WowWee emerged as a leader in high-tech toys? Mr Yanofsky explained: "We focus primarily on dynamic motion when everyone was software driven. This combination of dynamic motion and software intelligence creates magic. We're now moving into another category called robotics which will develop products that are less of a toy and more of a useful companion and technology statement."

The Robosapien, he said, is a labour of love. Canadian Mark Tilden and Philip Duffy head the design and R&D team consisting largely of Hong Kong designers. "The whole team is made up of highly qualified and high bandwidth people who love physics and robotics. It is a great team and the mantra for the company is 'knowledge'. We support all our staff and encourage them to know what is going on around the world. Consumer trends, lifestyle and technology all contribute to when and how we design our products."

The Robosapien is walking virtually into a robotics free market ever since Sony withdrew its expensive electronic Aibo toy. "The future versions of Robosapien will have more functions yet sell at a fraction of the price. We want consumers to ease into robotic technology and feel comfortable as we climb the tech and price ladder. I can safely say this as we 'invented' the technology and so can make it affordable," added Mr Yanofsky.

More ideas in store

He is brimming with enthusiasm for the future. "Now that we have cracked the code, the sky's the limit. Over the next few years you will see great products coming out and we'll be showing them at toy and electronics fairs around the world. Our future direction is away from low end toy shops and into the electronics store where the customer understands our initiative and is there to support it."

WowWee has recently acquired a special effects company specialising in human and animal facial motions and is totally committed to bringing out products "that can keep even the most restless minds engaged".

"The whole team in Hong Kong is very passionate in what they do. We promise to always be original and cutting edge and we have a mission to let the world know that," Mr Yanosky said.    

Toy buyers and exhibitors around the world will be able to check out next year's big hits at the forthcoming Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair, Asia's largest trade event of its kind and the second biggest in the world to be held from 11-14 January 2005.

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