Robosen’s self-transforming Bumblebee is finally giving Optimus Prime some backup

There are 31 servo motors powering Robosen’s self-transforming Bumblebee toy. | Image: Robosen

Robosen’s concern with Hasbro continues with a caller Bumblebee self-transforming robot toy launching this summer. Powered by 31 servo motors, Bumblebee transforms from a agleam yellowish bot to a classical Beetle with a scaled-down plan officially licensed by Volkswagen that tin beryllium driven utilizing a smartphone and Robosen’s app. They adjacent brought backmost Dan Gilvezan, who voiced Bumblebee successful the ‘80s Transformers cartoon, to grounds implicit 200 lines of caller dialogue.

Robosen’s Bumblebee is disposable for preorder done the company’s online store for $949, which is simply a constricted clip 30-day discount connected its afloat $1,299 terms tag. That’s somewhat much costly than Robosen’s $1,200 Megatron that launched past April, but overmuch cheaper than its self-transforming Grimlock Dinobot that debuted successful 2023 for $1,700.

Standing astir 15-inches gangly successful robot mode, Bumblebee responds to 48 dependable commands but tin besides beryllium controlled done Robosen’s mobile app implicit Bluetooth which includes a simplified block-based programming connection letting you make agelong animated sequences.

Bumblebee shuffles on connected 2 feet utilizing a “new and much fluid bipedal walking algorithm,” according to Hasbro, and features a custom-designed rear axle servo-motor and steering mechanics for improved maneuverability successful conveyance mode.

If you’ve got heavy pockets, each 4 of Robosen’s Transformers toys tin interact with each different and play retired conflict sequences, reacting to blaster hits and punches from different bots each portion exchanging one-liners.

This isn’t Robosen’s archetypal Bumblebee toy. In 2023, conscionable up of the Grimlock reveal, the institution released a cheaper $399 mentation of Bumblebee that offered akin features to this caller version, including walking connected 2 feet, but without the quality to alteration into a Beetle.