Remote-controlled vehicles have always provided free-form entertainment, but without any kind of structured play, what was there really to do but race? On the other hand, video games went overboard with structured play, turning casual gaming into daily grinds and time-sinks. Robonica – a South African/U.S. start-up – is attempting to combine the best of both worlds with the new Roboni-i interactive robot. Dubbed “the rise of robotic gaming,” Roboni-i “fuses elements of robotics, R/C vehicles and electronic gaming,” and will deliver “meaningful and structured gameplay — whether alone, with friends or online.”

Roboni-i is an agile, two-wheeled robot that will presumably offer unlimited play patterns. The robot is equipped with 16 sensors and four processors, and is controlled by radio frequency. The Zigbee peer-to-peer RF protocol allows players to compete against others with their own robots. Roboni-i will also come packaged with accessories and challenging programs to engage players with interactive, real-world robotic gameplay. Programs will include group play, time challenges and resource management. Gamers are scored on performance but can improve their score by executing special moves.

Roboni-i will also offer online play. The unit can be connected to a PC that has Internet access, and players can then create a personal profile, play virtual missions, compete in online games and interact with other Roboni-i owners. While connected to the PC, owners can tweak the Roboni-i’s behavior, edit games and upload performance data.

According to Roboni-i creator Johan Poolman, “Robonica was born out of frustration — frustration with the inability of the current generation of radio-controlled and robotic toys to provide any form of structured and interactive play, and frustration with the increasingly anti-social and intangible realities of video games. Our sole purpose is to explore new frontiers and provide the world with meaningful and entertaining forms of robotic entertainment. Robotic gaming is the evolutionary ‘next step’ for entertainment robotics.”

The Robini-i will launch on September 28, 2009 and will be available at major online retailers, like Amazon, Toys R Us and Barnes & Noble. For more information, visit http://www.robonica.com