Did you know that there are a host of robots that you can purchase in the market today that are loads of fun to have around the house? The great news is that they are not that expensive. The following are some of the more popular robots available for less than $30. You will be amazed at what they can do.



The first of our cheap yet chintzy robots is called the Idog and is promoted as a robotic pooch. It looks pretty odd, actually. One reviewer said it resembles "a collision between a bag of marshmallows and a cell phone, with vague canine overtones." The cool thing about this dog is that you feed it with music and it enthusiastically shows its delight through a series of movements and blinking lights. The robot canine can wiggle its ears, sway its head and flash its eyes in tune to the music. Manufacturers say the dog will actually develop a "personality" in accordance to the music you feed it.

The "Shooter Bots: The Game" toy consists of a robot tank that tracks people down and a gun that you use to shoot at the tank. The Shooter Bots can track and follow you around the house wherever you go using the gun as a homing device and then shoot you with its red laser ammunition. If you think hiding will be your salvation, you underestimate the darn thing. For instance, if you decide to hide behind the door, the robot can bounce its infrared light off a nearby shiny object to hit you on the rebound.

The Mini Roboraptor from WowWee Robotics looks like one of those terrible raptors on the "Jurassic Park" film series but this one is made of silver and white plastic. No, it doesn't growl or attack other stuff and rip it to shreds like those other raptors. Mainly, the robot dinosaur just walks around the room as if searching for prey.

The Amatron Robotic Arm from Edu Science is not a whole robot but a mechanical arm that moves. A push of a button will retract the arm while another button controls its claw to pick up and grip objects. Overall, it's an interesting device and a great conversation piece.