July 2, 2008 The semi-autonomous robotic boombox known as the Miuro has a new big brother. Tiger Electronics, a division of Hasbro Inc. has teamed up with Japanese distributor SEGA Toys to introduce the Automated Music Personality (A.M.P), a 2.4 feet (73 cm) tall black robot that can be hooked up to an MP3 player or iPod and bobs its head and dances while red LED lights on its head flash. The A.M.P. pumps out 12 watts of stereo sound through a 5" mid-range speaker and two high output tweeters while more boom can be added to any song with the dedicated bass boost button. The A.M.P. also features two turntable shaped hands that allow users to be the DJ and use A.M.P. as a virtual mixing deck. The touch pad hands serve as a way to layer different sound effects and scratches over the music with the left touch pad used to add music effects and the right touch pad controlling the audio.
Looking a little like a cross between a Segway and a Deceptacon, the A.M.P. features a sleek black and yellow exterior with stylized chrome detailing and uses a piezoelectric gyroscope and D.B.T. - Dynamic Balancing Technology - to keep his balance and stay upright.
The A.M.P. has five different modes, over 62 sound effects, numerous dance moves and 49 LED light animations. To get the party started users can plug their MP3 player into the audio input jack, secure the player in a case on the A.M.P.’s back and switch the robot into Dance mode where he’ll utilize his internal beat detection software to move in sync to the rhythm of the music. Shifting the A.M.P. into Drive mode allows the robot to be manually controlled with the remote control while Park mode deploys A.M.P’s kickstand enabling him to remain stationary. In Track mode, A.M.P. will orient himself towards the user as they hold the remote control, always keeping the music pointed at the user while Follow mode takes things a step further with A.M.P. locating and moving towards the user's hand held remote. Specialized tire tread and built-in obstacle detection sensors allow A.M.P. to manoeuvre around most stairs, walls and other obstructions in his path.
Battery-operated, A.M.P. can keep his groove on continuously for approximately ten hours using six D batteries and three AAA batteries for the controller. A.M.P. comes equipped with an AC power adapter, 6" headphone adapter plug and a carrying case for an MP3 player.
Hasbro A.M.P. will be available in Japan and the US starting this October for an approximate retail price of 80,000 yen and USD$500 respectively.