這家公司的機(jī)器人玩具靈感源于軍用技術(shù)。
會(huì)生蛋的企鵝機(jī)器人
公司名稱：波薩諾瓦機(jī)器人公司
所在地：匹茲堡市
價(jià)格：Skylee：59.55美元；Mechatars：39.99美元
適用年齡：Skylee：4歲及以上；Mechatars：6歲及以上
千萬不要被這家公司的名字唬住了。波薩諾瓦機(jī)器人公司（Bossa Nova Robotics）實(shí)際上是一家玩具制造公司。
這家公司是薩眾恩?斯卡夫與兩名同事一起創(chuàng)立的。當(dāng)時(shí)斯卡夫正在卡耐基梅隆大學(xué)（Carnegie Mellon University）攻讀機(jī)器人博士學(xué)位，并且正在為美國國防部制造機(jī)器人。后來他想道，是否可以把這項(xiàng)技術(shù)用來制造消費(fèi)性產(chǎn)品，具體來說就是玩具。
2005年，斯卡夫與同事一起創(chuàng)立了波薩諾瓦機(jī)器人公司，成為卡耐基梅隆大學(xué)機(jī)器人研究院（Carnegie Mellon Robotics Institute）的一個(gè)衍生機(jī)構(gòu)。不過當(dāng)時(shí)斯卡夫并不急著進(jìn)軍玩具業(yè)，而是到中國去住了兩年，對(duì)玩具制造業(yè)進(jìn)行悉心調(diào)研，以便為他的玩具找到最好的代工廠家。2009年，斯卡夫的公司發(fā)布了一款名叫Penbo的企鵝玩具，它所使用的技術(shù)與斯卡夫?yàn)閲啦垦芯康臋C(jī)器人技術(shù)是一樣的。
斯卡夫介紹道：“Penbo會(huì)像真的企鵝一樣搖搖擺擺地走路，而且它還會(huì)通過紅外線技術(shù)和接觸式傳感器與孩子進(jìn)行互動(dòng)?！贝送猓琍enbo的身上還懷著一個(gè)蛋，能夠自動(dòng)孵出一個(gè)小企鵝。“憑借我們的機(jī)器人技術(shù)，我們建立了一種真實(shí)的母女互動(dòng)。Penbo會(huì)對(duì)她的孩子說話，甚至和它玩捉迷藏，”斯卡夫說。
今年，波薩諾瓦機(jī)器人公司又在“Penbo和它的朋友”（Penbo & Friends）產(chǎn)品線里加入了一個(gè)名叫Skylee的新角色。Skylee是一條可愛的小龍，具有互動(dòng)能力，會(huì)唱歌、跳舞，還會(huì)與它的龍寶寶玩捉迷藏。
另外，這兩年來，斯卡夫和他的團(tuán)隊(duì)還一直在研發(fā)一款名叫Mechatar的玩具機(jī)器人。Mechatar的神奇之處在于，一個(gè)孩子和它玩得越久，它就會(huì)變得越聰明。斯卡夫稱，孩子們既可以在現(xiàn)實(shí)世界中玩Mechatar，也可以把它與電腦進(jìn)行連接。這樣一來，孩子們會(huì)看到他們的機(jī)器人變得活了起來，而且可以在電腦上繼續(xù)玩。斯卡夫說：“這是現(xiàn)實(shí)與虛擬的某種結(jié)合?！?/P>
Skylee和Mechatar剛剛登陸全國的塔吉特百貨（Target）、亞馬遜（Amazon）和玩具反斗城（Toys R Us）門店。
波薩諾瓦機(jī)器人公司的共同創(chuàng)始人馬丁?希奇稱：“我們都是機(jī)器人的狂熱愛好者。我們也花了很多時(shí)間來了解孩子和他們的玩耍方式。我們生產(chǎn)的玩具都非常有創(chuàng)意，而且它們的價(jià)格也讓家長們能夠接受?！?/P>
Skylee and Mechatars
Company: Bossa Nova Robotics
Location: Pittsburgh
Price: Skylee: $59.99; Mechatars: $39.99
Age: Skylee: 4 and up; Mechatars: 6 and up
Don't let the name fool you. Bossa Nova Robotics is actually a toymaker.
Sarjoun Skaff, who founded the company with two other colleagues, was working on his Ph.D. in robotics at Carnegie Mellon University. He was building a robot for the defense department when he started to think about how he could translate that same technology to create consumer products, specifically toys.
In 2005, Skaff cofounded Bossa Nova Robotics, an offshoot of Carnegie Mellon Robotics Institute. But he wasn't in a rush to invade the toy industry. Instead, he went to China and lived there for two years, doing research on toy manufacturing in a bid to find the best maker for his toys. In 2009, the company launched Penbo, a penguin built on similar robotics technology that Skaff worked on for the defense department.
"Penbo waddles. Penbo also interacts with kids through infrared technology and touch sensors," said Skaff. What's more, Penbo carries an egg that opens up into a baby penguin. "With our technology, we created a realistic mother-daughter interaction. And Penbo would talk to her baby and even play hide-and-seek with her," said Skaff.
This year, Bossa Nova Robotics added a new character to the Penbo & Friends line called Skylee, an adorable interactive dragon. Skylee sings, dances, and plays hide-and-seek with her own dragon baby.
There's more. For two years, Skaff and his team have worked on Mechatars, toy robots that become smarter the more often a child plays with them. Skaff said kids can play with Mechatars offline or connect Mechatars to their computer and watch the robotic characters come alive online and play there. "It's a form of blended reality," he said.
Both Skylee and Mechatars just launched at Target, Amazon and Toys R Us nationwide.
"We are robot enthusiasts. We also spend a lot of time understanding kids and how they are playing," said Bossa Nova Robotics cofounder Martin Hitch. "We are creating toys that are truly innovative at prices that parents feel good about."
