Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Meet the MOSS Modular Robots (Video)

Posted by Roblimo on from the one-day-they-will-be-sentient-but-not-quite-yet dept.

The MOSS modular robot system is sort of like LEGO Mindstorms, in that you assemble small blocks to make custom robots and other items. But it has some interesting tricks of its own, as product demonstrator John Moyes shows Timothy Lord at CES 2014. The MOSS kits include lots of little metal balls, so they carry a warning that says MOSS kits are suitable for ages 8 and up, while the company's older Cubelets product, which doesn't have the little balls, is supposed to be okay for ages 4 and up. There is no upper age limit specified for either product, so you're probably safe if you want to buy (and can *afford* to buy) any of these interesting toys.

22 comments

  1. Possible uses by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I wonder if this could safely handle highly radioactive and/or weaponized bioagents. This could come in very handy for certain endeavors.

  2. Useless summary by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So rather than tell us something about the "interesting tricks", or anything that might entice me to view the video, the summary wastes all its words on telling us about the age advisories. Seriously wtf? This is actually worse than the usual "submission" which is merely a cut & paste of a linked article.

    1. Re:Useless summary by mythosaz · · Score: 2

      As a 9 year old reading this site, I found the 8-and-up information quite informative, you insensitive clod.

    2. Re:Useless summary by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      8 and up is probably because there are small parts involved. Government types like to control how toys are marketed for different age groups.

  3. Anybody else looking a the metal balls thinking... by denis-The-menace · · Score: 3, Funny

    Anybody else looking a the metal balls thinking...

    Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!

    --
    Obama's legacy: (N)othing (S)ecure (A)nywhere and (T)error (S)imulation (A)dministration
  4. Because there is absolutely no chance by Marxist+Hacker+42 · · Score: 0

    of an 8 year old swallowing these magnetic balls by accident and then dying of a perforated bowel.

    --
    SJW: a person who perceives an injustice, and while correcting it, commits a greater injustice.
    1. Re:Because there is absolutely no chance by chispito · · Score: 2

      of an 8 year old swallowing these magnetic balls by accident and then dying of a perforated bowel.

      Couldn't be bothered to watch the first 20s of the video before posting?

      "...these are just steel spheres, and their are magnets that are injection-molded into the plastics here..."

      --
      The Daddy casts sleep on the Baby. The Baby resists!
    2. Re:Because there is absolutely no chance by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      the balls are steel, there are magnets embedded in the cubes

    3. Re:Because there is absolutely no chance by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I remember when having balls of steel used to be considered a good thing. sigh . . .

    4. Re:Because there is absolutely no chance by Roblimo · · Score: 1

      Thanks for noticing. Corrected.

    5. Re: Because there is absolutely no chance by Tenkawa · · Score: 1

      The balls are *not* magnetic for that reason

  5. Re:Anybody else looking a the metal balls thinking by mcgrew · · Score: 1

    The Venusians maybe? Look what nobots did to them!

    --
    Free Martian Whores!
  6. Thanks for your inquery! by PaulBu · · Score: 1

    Electronics there is probably not rad-hard... Bioagents should be OK though!

    Paul B.

  7. Pick a new name, Moss is already taken... by KPexEA · · Score: 2

    http://fuckyeahmauricemoss.tum...

  8. Like it by JoeMerchant · · Score: 1

    This actually looks powerful and flexible enough to keep me from getting bored, and easy and rugged enough to get the kids involved...

    Not sure about $400 to get a capable kit, but I know we've got nearly $400 in Legos so far, and haven't even bought any smart parts yet.

  9. Think of the children!!!!! by jcrb · · Score: 1

    I'm sure the government will step in and protect us from these products just as they did with Buckyballs.

    Buckyballs were sold as adult office toys and the Consumer Product Safety Commission still felt the need to save the children from swallowing the ball magnets. Given that these say they are for ages 8 and up I don't think they stand a chance... which is sad because they certainly look like they could be a lot of fun.

    Clearly what they need to do is include an "Emergency Extraction Super Magnet Rescue Tool" (that is too big to swallow) with each set along with a DVD copy of the movie Fortress, and print "Rescue Tool Instructional Video" on the DVD, and then they should be good to go.

    --
    -jon
    1. Re:Think of the children!!!!! by hawkeey · · Score: 1

      The metal balls are not magnets as far as I understand. They are just metal balls. The magnets are in the plastic cubes. Granted small children may still manage to swallow the large plastic cubes or put them in other orifices, but I think the magnet problem has been mitigated here.

    2. Re:Think of the children!!!!! by jcrb · · Score: 1

      In the words of a famous rooster...

        "That's a joke, ah say, that's a joke, son."

      --
      -jon
  10. replicators by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    dundun dundun dundun dundun dundun dundun dundun dundun dundun duhnuhnuh.. dun dun..

    (these comment filters suck)

  11. Wait? by markh100 · · Score: 1

    So, now you can run SharePoint Server on your legos? Who thought this was a good idea...