by David Geer
Contact the author at geercom@windstream.net
The Ultimate WALL-E Robot Toy
On the big screen, WALL-E (the last, functional Waste Allocation Load
Lifter-Earth class robot) is a curious, blue-collar working trash compactor
robot tasked with cleaning up mountains of consumer garbage from the
Earth’s surface. WALL-E is completely alone in this mess because
human beings have moved off the world on a permanent vacation,
due to pollution and the inability of the planet to support life.
TWALL-E collects artifacts and treasures from the glut
of consumer by-products, which help him in his search
o keep this endless, mundane chore interesting,
for the meaning of life and his own worth. WALL-E
manages to squeeze in a little fun, too, in the brief, shallow
respites he takes from his manual labors.
On the toy shelves at Disney, WALL-E is another ‘Stor-E’
altogether. The child-sized robot (approximately three feet
tall) consists of genuine, movable arms, the central body
unit, eyes, and mobile tracks for locomotion. The robot
Ultimate WALL-E
robot toy.
10 SERVO 04.2009
responds and interacts by talking to the user, following the
user, dancing, and playing MP3s.
Sensors, Sounds, and Responses
Ten deluxe grade brushed motors manipulate WALL-E’s
movements based on input from several multi-directional
smart sensors. Here’s what WALL-E can do, and how he
does it!
FollowMode
When WALL-E detects any movement, he will turn
around and follow it. When WALL-E detects movement
behind him, he will turn around to examine the source of
the movement, according to the owner’s manual. These
features are available when the unit is in FollowMode.
WALL-E has a square FollowMode button on top of his
front container area, signified by a red circle. Users can also
activate FollowMode via remote through an oval button
with a picture of WALL-E following sound waves.
WALL-E will use his three forward microphones to
detect and follow you. Simply clap twice and he will follow.
Continue clapping twice as you move and WALL-E will
continue to follow the sound of your hands.
Using his infrared obstacle detection and avoidance
sensors, WALL-E can detect obstacles in his path, stop
movement, and change course to avoid them so as not to
hang itself up on the landscape.
There are four infrared sensors: three in the front and
one in the back. WALL-E emits an infrared light, and an
infrared receiver processes the reply when the light bounces
