Latest Robot Innovations Fart and Lay Eggs

No longer impressed by watching your Roomba scoot its way around the floor? Then make some room for Prime-8 Gorilla, the latest battery-operated, ape-like creation from BossaNova Robotics. The company was formed in Pittsburgh four years ago and will be releasing its sophisticated, yet decidedly low-brow children's robots later this summer.

The yellow silverback doesn't vacuum the floor or do any chores (which is why we have kids in the first place, right?), but is designed solely for entertainment. This thing even farts when taunted and angry (don't worry: smell not included). Wired blogger Tony Sims describes the new toys at his Geek Dad blog.

It's not quite rocket science, but proud co-founder and chief geek Sarjoun Skaff claims the patent-protected synthetic simian is the fastest biped robot on the market. It doesn't run, per se, but spins its coiled arms to move its round, 12-inch body.

Here's a video of Prime-8 in action:

But if that's a little too rude and crude — or nightmare-inducing — for your youngest (even if you play with it yourself when your kids go to sleep), Bossa Nova has a kinder, cuddlier robot called Penbo Penguin. It coos, twinkles its adorable little robot eyes, is covered in soft pink "fur," flaps its tiny wings (but like real penguins, it can't really fly) and even lays an egg that hatches into a tiny baby penguin. Aw!

Check out their commercial, oddly reminiscent of those My Little Pony ads from the '80s:

I might just have to get my daughter one of those things in a year or so, which would be an exception to our no-battery-operated-toys rule, while resisting all temptation to unleash an ape-shit crazy Prime-8 Gorilla on its fuzzy butt. But in all honesty, what's better than the sound of your toddler actually using her imagination instead of relying on microprocessors and flashing lights?

Do I really sound that old?