Best Inventions 2005: Bot Crazy

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NICHOLAS EVELEIGH FOR TIME

Turtle Dance
Inventor: Takara
Availability: Now, only in Japan; about $12 each
To Learn More: takaratoys.co.jp (Japanese only)
It's small, it's cute and it sashays across your desk, tail wriggling. To program Walkie Bits, simply tap its shell with your finger. It can remember and mimic a rhythmic pattern of up to 15 clicks. In song mode, it bleep-bleeps Leopold Mozart's Toy Symphony. But the most fun you can have with these tiny turtle robots is to race them against each other. In basic walk mode, the Walkie Bits' pace is unpredictable, so you never know which one—peach? melon? pineapple? mint?—will win. Each one runs on a watch battery and comes in a canister. Three can fit in the palm of your hand.
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