Revell and IFI recently offered more tantalizing details on the
Vex Robotics System that will
be available
in latter 2007 (these
updates, as well as the
original
report, are below).
At the turn of the year, Revell released the following details:
-- SPYCAM: The Vex Robotics System will feature a "Spycam" for live transmission to TV or USB.
-- GRIPPER: The Vex system may even include sound - and the claw, still in development at the time of this post, will be able to pick up a feather, or a 12-ounce soda can filled with liquid.
-- VERSATILITY: The system will offer an endless combination of robotic activity and learning experiences, with over 300 parts that allow for the individualized design of robots that can be programmed to perform automated functions or be operated by radio control. The system has been designed with versatility and ease-of-use in mind. Variants of the Vex Robotics System will be easily constructed in less than one hour, and the robotic systems will move with agility while gripping, grabbing and exploring.
We caught up with senior exec Rich Schneider and asked him to recap the upcoming release. "Revell-Monogram is ready to enter the retail market. Our Vex Robotics System is the answer to the merging toy and consumer electronics departments of mass retailers. Kids will think Vex is a cool toy and parents will see the educational value in the Vex Robotics System," said Schneider, president and CEO, Revell Monogram. Revell Monogram expects the Vex Robotic System to hit retail shelves Fall 2007.
-- Tom Atwood
Hobby Industry Giant
Revell Monogram
Partners with IFI to
Market Upgraded
Vex Robotics System
Revell Monogram and Innovation First, Inc.
(IFI)
announced a global partnership for the
design,
marketing and distribution of
the newly expanded
Vex Robotics
System. Robot uncovered
this
exclusive, sneak preview
of the new
system, which is
based on the
award-winning
Vex platform
first
introduced in 2005.
The partnership will strongly position the Vex system in the hobby, education and mass markets, and is expected to bolster the growth of the FIRST Vex Challenge and other robotics competitions using the Vex platform. The expanded Vex system is backwards compatible and will include a suite of features only suggested by this prototype mock-up (image obtained from the Revell prototyping laboratory). Production units are expected to be available in the third quarter of 2007; see the Vex press release below. For more product details, stay tuned to Robot―your inside robotics news source!
Robotics Design System
Northbrook, Illinois– (Business Wire) – October 31, 2006 – Revell Monogram LLC and Innovation First, Inc. announced today a global partnership for the design, marketing and distribution of the new Vex Robotics System, a product platform based on the award-winning original design developed in 2005.
In this partnership, Innovation First will be responsible for technical design, engineering development and manufacturing, while Revell will be responsible for the development of sales and marketing programs, channel strategies and distribution. IFI will maintain responsibility and control of all products and programs involved with the educational field, the FIRST Robotics competition, and other nonretail business ventures.
The Vex Robotics System provides an endless variety of construction options for the user, allowing for the individualized design of robots that can be programmed to perform automated functions or be operated by radio control. The system received notoriety after being featured on the cover of the inaugural issue of Robot magazine, which also featured modernday mythbusters and special effects experts Adam Savage, Jamie Hyneman and Grant Imahara.
Innovation First is the developer of the original Vex Robotics System that continues to experience growing popularity in educational systems throughout the country as well as in a variety of robot competitions, including the FIRST Vex Challenge held in April at the FIRST Robotics Championship in Atlanta, GA. Revell is the global leader in hobbyclass model kits and has recently developed unique, new platforms for customizable R/C racing kits, and now robotic design systems. Revell and Innovation First, both in design and product development, have always stood for authenticity.
The new Vex system will be developed cooperatively by both companies for the retail market. It will differ in design from the original Vex system being used in the educational market to make it more appealing in price point and ease of construction to a broader market. Initial shipments are planned for the summer of 2007.
About Revell: Revell Monogram LLC, www.revell.com, a privatelyowned company, is the worldwide market leader in the sales of plastic model kits including cars, trucks, ships, planes, and related subjects. It also markets hobbyclass slot cars and R/C vehicles. Founded over 60 years ago, the company markets under the brands of Revell and Monogram.
About Innovation First, Inc.: Innovation First, www.innovationfirst.com, incorporated in 1996 and is a privately held S corporation. The company was founded on the belief that innovation very early in the design process is necessary to produce simple and elegant product designs. Innovation First began producing electronics for unmanned mobile ground robots, and is an industry leader in the hobby, competition and education markets.
