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LOS ANGELES — Robots have one more reason to rise up against us and take over the world.
Cloudrobots brings toys and games together for a 21st century update of Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots. Players control the aluminum ‘bots — electromagnetic feet stabilize them to their metal platform — using a mobile app on a phone. You can punch left and right (they always aim for the head) and set your boxing stance (low, medium, or high). In this version, developer Cloudrobotix uses a PC to facilitate the online connection, but that should change in the next iteration where the only thing you need — besides the robots — is the app itself.
It won’t come cheap. Company founder Adam Dalnoki said they’re aiming for a price “below $500” per robot. But from my brief time playing the prototype, it might just be worth cost. The robots move fluidly, and their uppercuts and haymakers look devastating. I flipped from one stance to the next to deflect my opponent’s punches with ease (you can also block by throwing your ‘bot’s arm in the direction of the incoming punch).
Dalnoki said he’s still looking for partners to manufacture and market the toys. He hopes that in the future Cloudrobots could use recognizable fighters from movies and TV shows, like Terminator or Transformers.
Check out the toys in action in our video below:
[youtube http://youtu.be/zWPgWLSvhsM]