Rovio

Rovio is an amazing robot created by WowWee,
The beauty about Rovio is that it allows you keep in contact
with your family while you are away. Rovio has a video camera
on the top that has 3 levels and can be managed remotely through the internet
using a browser; but it does not stop there it allows you to talk
to your family using full duplex communication.


The UI that Rovio uses is very intuitive, the best of all is loaded into the device itself, you do not have to deal with complex setup of web servers or anything like that. The UI allows you to move Rovio in any possible direction, switch the camera to 3 different levels, setup the sound, video quality and brightness.


The quality of the picture is amazing, the sound is not bad but it only works with Internet Explorer, there is not plug in for any other browser. It allows you to grant guest accounts to your family, in that way they will not be able to mess with the setup, but will be able to use it. Rovio is powered by rechargeable batteries that gets charged through a base that comes with the device. The auto docking features of the device is just amazing, it uses a beacon of light reflected on the roof of the room to guide itself into the docking station with the push of a button.


Rovio is propelled by 3 sets of wheels each wheel has several mini wheels, that gives Rovio and amazing moving flexibility. I am not clear about the price, I have seen it going from $130 at BJS to over $400 on the internet while I think at $130 is a fair price I would not pay for it $400, but I can't understand why such a difference in the price.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Amazing moving flexibility.
• Good quality picture.
• Very intuitive user interface.
• Very easy to setup.

Cons:

• Once in a while it loses the network signal and needs manual reboot.
  
• The battery could last longer.
• It should come with additional beacons so you can preset way points to different parts of the house.
• You should be able to move the video camera up and down on demand rather than having preset position.

Rating: 4 out of 5