Wow Wee
Encyclopedia
WowWee Group Limited, an Optimal Group company (NASDAQ: OPMR), is a Hong Kong-based company founded by Richard and Peter Yanofsky. Initially from Canada
, the two brothers moved to Hong Kong to form the company in 1982 as an independent research & development
and manufacturing
outfit. As an OEM
seller, they produced products such as the Power Rangers
Power Gloves and the Talking Tots dolls. In 1987 the company changed focus, building and marketing toys under their own brand in response to a fall in OEM orders. They produced a number of new products, including a robotic dog (MegaByte), T-Rex, and the Animaltronics and Dinotronics lines of remote control animals. In 1998 the company was purchased by Hasbro
.
Shortly before the Hasbro sale, Peter Yanofsky reportedly caught physicist
/roboticist
Mark Tilden
on the Discovery Channel
, and soon hired him as a consultant. Initially Tilden worked part time with WowWee while he continued his work with the Los Alamos National Laboratory
, but in 2001 Tilden joined the company full time. One of his first products with WowWee was the B.I.O. Bug, released in 2001. Unfortunately, while sales were good they weren't as strong as either WowWee or Hasbro would have liked. In part this has been attributed to the after-effects of 9/11 and the anthrax
attacks, while Tilden has also expressed disappointment with some of the limitations placed on the product design by Hasbro. After moving to WowWee full time in 2001, Tilden focused his attention on developing Robosapien
.
While Tilden was developing Robosapien, Hasbro canceled the project several times, leading Yanofsky to negotiate out of the contract in 2003. Robosapien was released in 2004, and over 1.5 million were reportedly sold in the first 5 months of sale. Tilden continued to develop the line with the Robosapien V2
(2005), Roboreptile
(2006),
the RS Media
(2006) and the Roboquad
(2007). Further releases included the V2 robot, launched in 2005; and the RS Media robot, which included user-created functions. The RS Tri-Bot, a three-wheeled model, was released in the summer of 2008.
In 2007, working with inventor Sean Frawley, WowWee released the FlyTech Dragonfly
- a remote control flying ornithopter
. The Dragonfly was named as one of the inventions of the year by Time
in 2007. The success of the Dragonfly led to other flying toys, such as the Bladestar (a remote controlled helicopter) and the Butterfly (a wind-up ornithopter aimed at younger children). The FlyTech Bladestar was awarded an “Editor’s Choice Award 2008” by Popular Mechanics magazine as a technologically advanced innovation.
On September 27, 2007, the publicly-traded Optimal Group announced they had entered into a purchase agreement to acquire WowWee Ltd, which they completed in November of that year.
At the 2008 CES
several new products (including the Rovio (robot)
and Femisapien
) were announced with their estimated release dates and prices.
revealed that WowWee and a number of retailers are being sued for trademark infringement by Gibson Guitar Corporation
for unlawfully using the shapes of the bodies and headstocks of Gibson's signature guitars in their Paper Jamz line of toy guitars. WowWee has denied any wrongdoing and has asserted that the shapes Gibson claims as trademarks are generic and therefore cannot function as trademarks. On November 24, 2010 the court denied Gibson's request for a temporary restraining order, but on December 22, 2010 granted Gibson's motion for a preliminary injunction. The case was later settled, with WowWee paying Gibson an undisclosed amount for licensing the likeness of Gibson guitars, according to Gibson CEO, Henry Juszkiewicz.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the two brothers moved to Hong Kong to form the company in 1982 as an independent research & development
Research and development
The phrase research and development , according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, refers to "creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this stock of...
and manufacturing
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
outfit. As an OEM
Original Equipment Manufacturer
An original equipment manufacturer, or OEM, manufactures products or components that are purchased by a company and retailed under that purchasing company's brand name. OEM refers to the company that originally manufactured the product. When referring to automotive parts, OEM designates a...
seller, they produced products such as the Power Rangers
Power Rangers
Power Rangers is a long-running American entertainment and merchandising franchise built around a live action children's television series featuring teams of costumed heroes...
Power Gloves and the Talking Tots dolls. In 1987 the company changed focus, building and marketing toys under their own brand in response to a fall in OEM orders. They produced a number of new products, including a robotic dog (MegaByte), T-Rex, and the Animaltronics and Dinotronics lines of remote control animals. In 1998 the company was purchased by Hasbro
Hasbro
Hasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
.
Shortly before the Hasbro sale, Peter Yanofsky reportedly caught physicist
Physicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
/roboticist
Roboticist
A roboticist designs, builds, programs, and experiments with robots. Since robotics is a highly interdisciplinary field, roboticists often have backgrounds in a number of disciplines including computer science, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and computer engineering...
Mark Tilden
Mark Tilden
Mark W. Tilden is perhaps best known for his invention of BEAM robotics and the WowWee Robosapien humanoid robot. He is a robotics physicist who produces complex robotic movements from simple analog logic circuits, often with discrete electronic components, and usually without a...
on the Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
, and soon hired him as a consultant. Initially Tilden worked part time with WowWee while he continued his work with the Los Alamos National Laboratory
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Los Alamos National Laboratory is a United States Department of Energy national laboratory, managed and operated by Los Alamos National Security , located in Los Alamos, New Mexico...
, but in 2001 Tilden joined the company full time. One of his first products with WowWee was the B.I.O. Bug, released in 2001. Unfortunately, while sales were good they weren't as strong as either WowWee or Hasbro would have liked. In part this has been attributed to the after-effects of 9/11 and the anthrax
Anthrax
Anthrax is an acute disease caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis. Most forms of the disease are lethal, and it affects both humans and other animals...
attacks, while Tilden has also expressed disappointment with some of the limitations placed on the product design by Hasbro. After moving to WowWee full time in 2001, Tilden focused his attention on developing Robosapien
RoboSapien
RoboSapien is a toy-like biomorphic robot designed by Mark Tilden and produced by WowWee toys. The RoboSapien is preprogrammed with moves, and also can be controlled by an infrared remote control included with the toy, or by either a personal computer equipped with an infrared transmitter, and an...
.
While Tilden was developing Robosapien, Hasbro canceled the project several times, leading Yanofsky to negotiate out of the contract in 2003. Robosapien was released in 2004, and over 1.5 million were reportedly sold in the first 5 months of sale. Tilden continued to develop the line with the Robosapien V2
Robosapien v2
The Robosapien V2 is the second generation of Mark Tilden's Robosapien robot. It is nearly twice the size of the original robot, standing around tall. Instead of the original caveman grunts the V2 can speak a large list of pre-recorded phrases...
(2005), Roboreptile
Roboreptile
The Roboreptile toy robot manufactured by WowWee Ltd. The Roboreptile has infrared and sound sensors, and is able to autonomously explore its environment while avoiding obstacles. It can also operate in different modes where it simultates behaviors of real animals. It is able to rear up on its hind...
(2006),
the RS Media
RS Media
The RS Media is another product in WowWee's line of biomorphic robots, based on a walking system designed by Mark Tilden. The RS Media uses basically the same body as the Robosapien V2, but a different brain based on a Linux kernel. As the name implies, the RS Media's focus is on multimedia...
(2006) and the Roboquad
Roboquad
Roboquad is one of the 5 new robots that WowWee announced at CES in January 2007. It is a 4-legged robot that somewhat resembles a spider and a dog...
(2007). Further releases included the V2 robot, launched in 2005; and the RS Media robot, which included user-created functions. The RS Tri-Bot, a three-wheeled model, was released in the summer of 2008.
In 2007, working with inventor Sean Frawley, WowWee released the FlyTech Dragonfly
FlyTech Dragonfly
The Flytech Dragonfly is WowWee's entry into remote-controlled flying toy industry. The Dragonfly has been incorrectly billed as the world's first commercially available RC ornithopter...
- a remote control flying ornithopter
Ornithopter
An ornithopter is an aircraft that flies by flapping its wings. Designers seek to imitate the flapping-wing flight of birds, bats, and insects. Though machines may differ in form, they are usually built on the same scale as these flying creatures. Manned ornithopters have also been built, and some...
. The Dragonfly was named as one of the inventions of the year by Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
in 2007. The success of the Dragonfly led to other flying toys, such as the Bladestar (a remote controlled helicopter) and the Butterfly (a wind-up ornithopter aimed at younger children). The FlyTech Bladestar was awarded an “Editor’s Choice Award 2008” by Popular Mechanics magazine as a technologically advanced innovation.
On September 27, 2007, the publicly-traded Optimal Group announced they had entered into a purchase agreement to acquire WowWee Ltd, which they completed in November of that year.
At the 2008 CES
Consumer Electronics Show
The International Consumer Electronics Show is a major technology-related trade show held each January in the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. Not open to the public, the Consumer Electronics Association-sponsored show typically hosts previews of products and new...
several new products (including the Rovio (robot)
Rovio (robot)
Rovio is a Wi-Fi enabled robot manufactured by WowWee which lets you view what the robot's webcam sees from anywhere in the world with an internet connection. It can be accessed and controlled from any PC, Mac, Cell Phone, Smartphone, PDA or PSP....
and Femisapien
FemiSapien
FemiSapien is a female humanoid robot that WowWee announced at CES in January 2008. It can respond to sight, sound, and touch and can be programmed with a sequence of movements...
) were announced with their estimated release dates and prices.
Legal problems
On November 23, 2010, EngadgetEngadget
Engadget is a multilingual technology blog network with daily coverage of gadgets and consumer electronics. Though on appearance Engadget functions much like a blog and may be defined as such, much of its editorial content takes the form of an online magazine...
revealed that WowWee and a number of retailers are being sued for trademark infringement by Gibson Guitar Corporation
Gibson
Gibson may refer to:* Gibson Amphitheatre* Gibson Appliance* Gibson Girl* Gibson Guitar Corporation* Gibson * Gibson Generating Station-Places:In the United States:* Gibson, Arkansas* Gibson, Georgia* Gibson, Iowa* Gibson, Louisiana...
for unlawfully using the shapes of the bodies and headstocks of Gibson's signature guitars in their Paper Jamz line of toy guitars. WowWee has denied any wrongdoing and has asserted that the shapes Gibson claims as trademarks are generic and therefore cannot function as trademarks. On November 24, 2010 the court denied Gibson's request for a temporary restraining order, but on December 22, 2010 granted Gibson's motion for a preliminary injunction. The case was later settled, with WowWee paying Gibson an undisclosed amount for licensing the likeness of Gibson guitars, according to Gibson CEO, Henry Juszkiewicz.
External links
- European website
- WowWee Alive Website - All about the WowWee Alive Cubs
- RoboCommunity - The official WowWee Robotics user community
- Hands-on with the new Wowwee bots (Engadget, January 6, 2006): A preview of three upcoming robots: the Robosapien RS2 Media, the Roboreptile, and the P-Bot
- Live from CES: Robosapien Roundup (Gizmodo, January 7, 2006)
- Optimal Group to Acquire WowWee
- Optimal Group web page