Topo (robot) facts for kids
| Developer | William H.T. La |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Androbot Inc. |
| Type | robot |
| Release date | 1983 |
| Introductory price | US$495 (equivalent to $1,454 in 2022) |
| Discontinued | TOPO I - April 1984 |
| Units sold | 120 |
| Units shipped | 650 |
| Successor | TOPO II, TOPO III, BOB, BOB/XA, FRED, ANDROMAN |
Topo was a cool robot from the 1980s. It was made by a company called Androbot Inc. Topo was designed for homes and schools. You could program it using an Apple II computer. Some people even made programs for it to work with Windows 9x computers later on.
Topo could move around a room and do simple tasks. It was like a helper robot, but it didn't have sensors to see or hear things. This meant it couldn't make its own decisions.
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What is Topo?
Topo robots started being sold in early 1983. They were made to be affordable for everyone. These robots did not have complicated robot arms or grippers.
Topo robots were made of beige plastic. They had two wheels at the bottom that acted like feet. Each robot stood about 36 inches (about 91 cm) tall.
Different Topo Models
There were different versions of Topo.
- Topo 1 and Topo 2 had arms that could fold out.
- Topo 3 did not have any arms at all.
How Topo Worked
You could control Topo using a computer. It understood special computer languages. These languages included Apple BASIC, a simpler version of the Logo language, or a language called Forth.
Talking to Topo
Topo robots communicated with the computer using radio waves or infrared light.
- Topo 2 and Topo 3 used an infrared signal.
- They had a special pad on top of their head. This pad was used to control them and also received the infrared signals.
Topo's Special Abilities
Later versions of Topo could even talk! They had a text-to-speech processor. This meant you could program your robot to wander around your house and speak to people.
There was even a plan for a Topo IV model. However, this robot was never actually made. It was more like a different robot called B.O.B. (Brains On Board) than the earlier Topo models.
