Future of Fun
So they think they can dance? Three robots bust a move to try to win your vote, and be crowned Best Robotic Dancer

The Contestants From left: Mattel Fijit Friend "Willa", Tosy DiscoRobo, BeatBots MyKeepon Dan Bracaglia (3)

We may still be a long way from fully-functioning robot maids or dog-walkers, but there's one thing consumer robot-makers have figured out: how to make 'em dance. This year, three music-responsive 'bots will be on sale, leaving us to wonder: who's got the best moves? So we gathered up the three contestants and blasted some "Robot Rock." We'll leave it to you to decide who rocks out the best.

The Contestants:

BeatBots MyKeepon (yellow corner) He trained to dance at Carnegie Mellon University, and is most famed for his rendition of Spoon's "I Turn My Camera On." MyKeepon prefers to dance perched atop his own black podium as he bops. In his free time, he works as a therapeutic tool for children with autism.

Mattel Fijit Friend Willa (purple corner) Representing her entire Fijit Friend team, of which there are four, Willa moves, twirls and headbangs to any music you like -- all without the benefit of arms or legs. If you can't pick a song, she offers to sing her own, though we wouldn't recommend it.

Tosy DiscoRobo (blue corner) DiscoRobo traveled from Vietnam to compete in the dance-off, confident he could best his competitors with his own brand of pop-and-lock moves -- not to mention articulating arms, moving legs, and wheels. We'll just have to see...

Cast your vote before midnight on February 22:

Video by Dan Bracaglia

28 Comments

Keepon didnt even move :/

This is UH-MAZING!!! Love it!!!! They are all great and super cute, but I think that the TOSY blue robot should win this dance-off!

Disco Robo Rock the best!

My son loves Disco Robo so much!!! He makes me replay the video all the time

Disco Robo is amazing. How cute his moves are!

DiscoRobo somehow remind me of Michael Jackson, R.I.P.

I'll be the first one buying Disco Robo

DiscoRobo for sure is an awesome toy!

I would love to have one DiscoRobo!!!!!!

the name Disco Robo is adorableeeee!!!!!!!!!!

I cant wait until Disco Robo's on sale.

Nearly every account commenting on this article was created at the same time, 2 and a half hours ago ( and looks like they got lazy and just went with the name and number account generator).

Shamelessly making fake accounts to plug your product?

Check.

The comedian Red Skelton told the story of how he has himself paged at a Hotel, just so his name could be announced over and over again.

But he told the story honestly and laughs at himself in the process.

I guess it’s all about marketing and getting your name known!

..........................................
See life in all its beautiful colors, and
from different perspectives too!

When the robots take over the world, at least they will look fantastic doing it. Perhaps my last sight will be of a robotic army dancing to Eye of the Tiger.

I would love to play with Fijit. She could be little girls close friend :D

I think we have a really tight match here, but it's not hard to tell that the winer will be that little blue robot, just by looking at the number of vote above. Well, isn't that obvious? The other to can't even move their bodies properly, let alone dancing. I mean, how can you call yourself a dancer without arms and legs?

I magine if I own the yellow one, I would hug it all the time, look at it, It seem so soft!

As an owner of MyKeepon I can assure you that Keepon dances much better than it seems in the video. Tosy DiscoRobo is a great dancer, too, but in my heart there will always be a Keepon =)

The MyKeepon moves a LOT more than this video shows. I think you guys must've picked a bad song. While Robot Rock is perfect thematically, it's not quite heavy enough beat-wise to get the other one's going.

Also, the Disco Robot didn't even dance to the rhythm of the music!

I'm really with bbeach88. I just feel like blue DiscoRobo just can move differently with different level of bass, so its moves not so abundant I guess.

Actually dancing is not the key function of the lovely Fijit. Fijit is produced to become little girl's friend, who can stay with them all day in all daily activities like sleeping, listening to music. Fijit even can talk to them in cute and funny way with lively reactions :) It hasnt arms or legs to make humanoid moves but I consider it as highest tech among those.

As a designer with more than 10 years in the field, I think dancing toys in general will be much more attractive and close to players if they have humanoid - moving design. With legs and arms and facial axpression, toys will have more emotions which is the point that any robotic toys manufacturer wanna reach. :)

Thumbs up for the Fijit Friends. I got my Willa. You should try them.

my roomate's aunt makes $83/hr on the laptop. She has been without work for 8 months but last month her pay was $8682 just working on the laptop for a few hours. Read more on this site...Nuttyrich . com

Go Tosy DiscoRobo! Do the dance! Show them what ya got!

P.S. Anyone notice I changed my proflie picture? Like it?

I actually like BeatsBots.He is soo cute! Willa is also cute. She is.....fijjitty.

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