LGR - Omnibot 2000 Robot from 1985
Added 2024-01-09 01:41:01 +0000 UTCHappy 2024! It's the future and that means ROBOTS.
1980s robots, of course – which are the best kind! And I cannot be convinced otherwise, ha. Growing up on a steady diet of 80s movies, TV, and video games packed with robots and androids really did a number on my psyche.
And yes this is the video that in my previous post I described as "quite a different one than the norm." There's hardly a computer in sight here, what in the world! Although I don't think it strays too far outside of the general LGR wheelhouse either, so hopefully it goes over well with y'all.
This episode has been in the pipeline off and on for a over a year, too, so it's pretty fulfilling to wrap this one up. The first robot needed repairs that were beyond my comfort level, but efforts to make that happen did not pan out and dragged on for longer than it should've. So the first chunk of this video was recorded in the summer of 2022, then there was a big lull, and then all the demonstration bits were taken care of over the past couple weeks once I finally got around to settling in with the second robot. A bit of a journey but it came together nicely.
And that's the first video of the year in the can! More or less, there are still some minor edits to make before it goes public, so lemme know if you notice anything here that seems off. I'll be back with another "Three Weird Mice" video once I return from a weekend trip to see family next week, so have a good one till then!
Comments
That video triggered a bit of nostalgia for me. But not due to the Omnibot 2000, but instead by very briefly showing the „Flipbot“ on the right side of their product lineup picture at the end of the video :). I remember my dad bringing home that and another small robot that could „wipe“ the table while avoiding to fall off. Thanks for the fun video and memories!
Florian
2024-01-13 08:34:43 +0000 UTChahahha... You had way too much fun with this, in this video, Clint .. And I love it :-D
Evan B
2024-01-13 00:03:53 +0000 UTChttps://youtu.be/Tuk9bJ8lHuM?si=VNgynUIp2fhYuFQL Topo and Roby - Under The Ice Topo was Italo-Disco Star-Robot.
Johnny Colt Reid
2024-01-12 19:54:09 +0000 UTCAhh true, how could I forget Soundwave and his tape torso!
LGR
2024-01-11 04:30:20 +0000 UTCI’m sending it off for repairs here soon before it’s sent back to Ernest!
LGR
2024-01-11 04:28:44 +0000 UTCI'd honestly love that. Chucky as a robot with an AI twist, and shades of Ex Machina. Kinda what I hoped the movie M3GAN was going to be but not so much.
LGR
2024-01-10 23:41:31 +0000 UTCYUP
LGR
2024-01-10 23:39:50 +0000 UTCIts glowing orange eyes and *BRZRZRTTT* sounds of the remote microphone certainly add to the menacing factor, too
LGR
2024-01-10 23:39:34 +0000 UTCHeck yeah absolutely the same here, Mat. Once I finally fixed the tray and got it to pick up and pour a drink successfully, it's nuts how much that made me feel like a kid again.
LGR
2024-01-10 23:37:45 +0000 UTCAnd they're all BORING, haha At least by comparison to the 80s stuff, in my nostalgia-tinted view. They're so much more useful in functionality nowadays, but they seem more like appliances y'know?
LGR
2024-01-10 23:36:44 +0000 UTCYeah I'll admit it's a *little* bit of a disappointment, the idea of the thing really was better than the reality. That said I still think it would've been just wild to see one in action in 1985, but it was definitely a rich kid's toy.
LGR
2024-01-10 23:34:03 +0000 UTCHaha, uncle gifts like that really were the best. My uncle Mark was the same with my brother and I, lots of good memories and unforgettable electronic gifts.
LGR
2024-01-10 23:30:56 +0000 UTCExtremely fortunate to have such generous viewers!
LGR
2024-01-10 23:28:55 +0000 UTCThe Verbot would've been incredible back then, too! I mean what's more futuristic than voice command 😁
LGR
2024-01-10 23:28:33 +0000 UTCDrink-serving robots are honestly such a unique category that it transcends Oddware, in my mind :)
LGR
2024-01-10 23:27:30 +0000 UTCAhh those holiday catalogs. So many wished-for toys that remained nothing more than a fantasy. My family didn't have the money either, so it truly is a treat to be able to experience some of them on LGR and share the experience decades later
LGR
2024-01-10 23:27:01 +0000 UTCMy last bottle of that recently started drying up, argh! From that re-release they did for it some years ago, it was fun to revisit Crystal even if I'm not a Pepsi fan 😄
LGR
2024-01-10 23:24:30 +0000 UTCOoh the RAD looks stellar, what a cool bot. Just an excellent collection you have there, too! Yeah I'm sorta hoping someone with access to a Heathkit Hero gets in touch someday, I'd love to cover one
LGR
2024-01-10 23:22:17 +0000 UTCGlad to hear, Saul! I really enjoy straying from the normally-beaten path like this video and those you mention.
LGR
2024-01-10 23:21:11 +0000 UTCHeck yeah good old Westminster, or some variant of it! Classic font that screams 80s despite being a 60s thing :) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westminster_(typeface)
LGR
2024-01-10 23:20:25 +0000 UTCI don't know why, but I've always been pretty apathetic to robotics. That being said, I can definitely see the hype and appeal this had in the 80's, would like to see one that was more "practical"
Hernando Heilbron
2024-01-10 00:04:06 +0000 UTCLove how casually you mention Ernest Cline, and not to mention, get a second robot to play around with. Lovely stuff Clint, keep up the good work!
GASQBDUV
2024-01-09 20:53:11 +0000 UTCNot sure I've had a bigger LGR video lol than dancing Crackbot. As for robots, closest I got was the Big Trak. Had a 2XL but it was really just a tape player. Now if I had used some hot glue to combine the two...
Geekenspiel
2024-01-09 19:49:17 +0000 UTCAn older couple neighbor of our had one of these when I was like 10, They used to babysit me when my mom had dates. Love playing with this guy, was so much fun.
Vaggumon
2024-01-09 19:46:12 +0000 UTCImmediately thought of Soundwave with that cassette chest compartment.
Deckard Games
2024-01-09 18:13:54 +0000 UTCAs a German I find the translation of "Hello Master" as "Hallo Leiter" quite amusing. While technically not incorrect Leiter can also mean ladder, and the Leiter is more like some boss in the office. Why not just Meister? Odd manual 😁Too bad the mint robot didn´t work. Would be interesting if you can get it running!
Udo Krawallo
2024-01-09 16:26:58 +0000 UTCNow i imagine a story with an AI finding that old robot and using it as its avatar to the outside world. o.o
BastetFurry
2024-01-09 15:20:56 +0000 UTCThat's what the short story mentioned, so yes, I'm pretty sure the same.
aetherspoon
2024-01-09 14:37:24 +0000 UTCWait, THE Ernest Cline?
David S. Grop
2024-01-09 14:37:15 +0000 UTCThat robot and the squeaking wheels could be used in a robotic horror film. Imagine it slowly coming down a dark hallway to murder you. HAHA
CrkdLtrN
2024-01-09 14:25:59 +0000 UTCThe 80's kid that I am still would love any of these retro robots. Just watching it pour that drink fills me with 80's hype. Awesome video Clint!
Mat Cooper
2024-01-09 12:13:25 +0000 UTCThe vision of a future that almost happened. Nowadays we do have robots in our homes, they're just computers and AI companions now.
Alyxx the Rat
2024-01-09 06:17:21 +0000 UTCOh, neat, interesting way to find out Tomy's still doing stuff beyond having been merged with Takara. That aside, wow, I figured there'd be some big limitations on what it could do for its age, but these are incredibly severe. Even if the tape programming was fully functional, that cut price would still have been way too much.
Valora Inverse
2024-01-09 06:04:15 +0000 UTCMy uncle got us (my brother and I) the Radio Shack version of the Hearoid robot, which they called "Robie Sr." when I was 11, I think. He never had any children of his own, so he bought all the "noisy toys" for his sister's children (to our delight and our mother's chagrin), lol.
Stavros Karatsoridis
2024-01-09 05:19:00 +0000 UTCWow. You always seem to find this stuff IN BOX. Classic LGR!
50_SHADES_OF_BEIGE
2024-01-09 05:12:01 +0000 UTCYeah, I had a Verbot as well - but wanted a Omnibot 2000 so bad. But it wasn't too be. No idea what a 10-year version of me would have done with a real robot, but it would make for some awesome photos to look back at.
Chris Munch
2024-01-09 03:48:25 +0000 UTCOh man, I wanted one of these so bad for Christmas as a kid, instead I got a Tomy Verbot, which I still thought was cool. But the 2000 --- now that was a REAL robot.
Chris Munch
2024-01-09 03:46:51 +0000 UTCJust fantastic although this was oddware if I’ve ever seen it :-)
Seth C
2024-01-09 03:43:52 +0000 UTC"Just water?" I was so excited for Crystal Pepsi ...
Jason Olshefsky
2024-01-09 03:23:56 +0000 UTCI distinctly remember staring at this thing for hours in the JCPenny Christmas catalog, I would have been 10 at the time. Sadly, way too expensive for my family then, but super fun to see it now.
Dawn Anthes
2024-01-09 03:16:58 +0000 UTCWhat a polite fellow! I had a RAD robot in 1999 and he had just about the same functionally as this dude (but with built in weapons!) - oh I’d love to see some of the more professional trash can ones, it would be fun to see what was possible if you could afford it! Also my RAD is still around! He comes out every Christmas to sit under the tree and remember his youth - https://melonking.net/melon?z=/collections/robots
Melonking
2024-01-09 02:25:11 +0000 UTCThe same Ernest Cline who wrote Ready Player One? If so, that's awesome.
Chris Bennett
2024-01-09 02:21:20 +0000 UTCI was obsessed with the Omnibots when I was little. Only had WeeBot and VerBot. I had a book that I would read all the time called Real Robots. I had thought about it over the years and then randomly remembered the name and got a copy off of eBay. Then looked up all the robots on YouTube. Childhood dreams realized!
David Leblond
2024-01-09 02:18:14 +0000 UTCThis is so wicked cool!! Can’t wait to dive in. I’m all for the “less computer-y, more gadget-y” angle in content. Some of my favorite videos are when you dive into formerly ubiquitous tech devices like the fresh unboxings of the VHS camera, answering machine, etc.
Saul
2024-01-09 01:47:17 +0000 UTCThat box and that font sure reminds me of a lot of toys I got in the 80s. Funny that was thought as the look of the future, while we ended up with Comic Sans...
Frederic St-Georges
2024-01-09 01:45:03 +0000 UTC
