Marvel fans beware – Tony Stark is going to do his best to steal the money right from your pocket and replace it with a robot. With Avengers: Endgame only a couple of weeks away from release, Marvel and UBTech have created an Iron Man robot that stands 32cm high and weighs in at 1.2kg.
It's the first humanoid robot inspired by Marvel's cinematic universe and allows users to create, control, code and battle in Iron Man's world.
"We are so excited about this product! It has been described as a Marvel fan's 'ultimate dream', and it's easy to understand why," says JC Matthew NZ's Milton Frear.
"You can upload your own photo and audio to the robot's face display so, when the faceplate opens, you are Iron Man - and that's just one highlight."
In order to use Iron Man and the app, you need a smart device that can handle an app that uses 1GB of RAM – so no old clunky phones! Smart devices need to run iOS 11.0 ARKit or above (supported Devices: iPhone6S and up, iPad Pro and up), or Android 7.0+ (API level 23) or above (best Supported Devices: Samsung Galaxy A5, A8+, S8, S8+, S9, S9+, Note8, Google Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, Huawei P20, P20 Pro, LG V30+, G6).
Other features include:
- A dynamic augmented reality (AR) experience through a free app for iOS and Android that lets the user play as Tony Stark and suit up in the iconic MK50 armour to practise their battle skills. Build the arsenal of nanotech weaponry, then battle against enemy drones inspired by Iron Man's iconic villains, like the Chitauri and Ebony Maw.
- Mobile Command protocol puts the user in control of the robot's motors, lights and sound, with the ability to select specific phrases from a recognisable Tony Stark voice.
- Iron Guard protocol offers custom patrol capabilities, utilising cutting edge light sensor technology to detect enemy invaders and respond with audio and light reactions.
- Custom protocol lets the user build one-of-a-kind moves for the robot using block-based programming. The visual drag-and-drop programming editor allows the creation of simple, custom Iron Man scripts without any prior programming knowledge, and gives the user the full Super Hero power of Iron Man's MK50 technology.
Iron Man will set you back around $459 – Mighty Ape is currently taking preorders. You can also catch him at Harvey Norman and Smiths City from April 30, 2019.
