It was Robby's large metallic presence, gentlemanly demeanor and limitless power that lured Fred Barton into the world of robots. He first saw Robby the Robot in the 1956 MGM film Forbidden Planet, and “other robots in cinema, before or after, never really measured up. But it opened the door for me to appreciate all robots of all designs,” says the robot collector-turned-designer. Barton's fascination with androids isn't atypical these days. In fact, robotic kits continue to appeal to adults with a childhood attachment to the hulking creatures—and to kids who just think robots are cool.

Traditional robot toys have come a long way since the tin models of yesteryear. Advancements in technology have turned these droids into walking, talking machines, giving adult collectors something that actually moves, and, even better, can be programmed. Barton's life-size Robby the Robot is for diehard droid fans. Distributed by Thousand Oaks, Calif.-based Sideshow Collectibles at a retail price of almost $17,000, the robot replica stands 7 feet tall and weighs about 30 pounds. Each takes Barton eight to 12 weeks to complete.

Barton, who had the opportunity to work on the original Robby when he was commissioned to restore the movie robot, says, “Robby is by far the most popular robot. He outsells all other robots. He is the most imitated toy robot collectible in history. Since 1956, almost every toy robot had a barrel chest and hoop antennas and a dome head.” A more recent robot, the Cylon from the Sci-Fi Channel's updated Battlestar Galactica TV series, is also a popular seller. And Star Wars' R2-D2 and C-3PO, of course, fly out the door,” he says.

“Robotic toys represent the future. They remain popular year-in and year-out,” agrees Sandra Leo, Tomy's senior marketing manager. Her company is getting into the market with a model of its own. At 7 inches tall, Tomy's i-Sobot is certainly smaller than Robby, but features bipedal walking—including backward, side-to-side and diagonal motion—along with tricks such as dancing, lying down and getting up again, and even a few karate moves. The robot has 17 custom servo-motors, 19 integrated circuit chips, a built-in gyro-sensor, 2 LEDs, voice command recognition, a spoken vocabulary of more than 200 words and phrases, and a programmable infrared remote. At $350, the price tag is pretty steep; as such, it definitely targets the adult consumer, according to the Santa Ana, Calif.-based company. “The core adult audience is looking for advanced technology,” Leo adds.

Consumers who leaf through the Sharper Image catalog or browse the merchandise selections from retailers like Hammacher-Schlemmer, Amazon.com, Fry's, FatBrainToys.com or local hobby shops are bound to find Erector's contribution to android play. Available this fall, the Spykee model kit lets users keep an eye on their house via a built-in video camera, microphone and WiFi connection, allowing it to be programmed and operated from anywhere in the world via a personal computer.

Jeff Roberts, vice president of specialty sales for the Plano, Texas-based toy and model maker, sees a big future to the category. “We are just seeing the beginning of where this is heading. As technology continues to grow, you will see this category continue to expand at a rapid pace,” he says. “To think that a toy can give you the capabilities to communicate with people around the world, take pictures and video, and download your favorite music is amazing. Years ago, just building robots was fun. But then they added in motors that made movement … at the time, you thought that was incredible. Today, there are so many new elements that can be brought to robotic toys. And when the product's incorporated with the Internet, it really can become something special—the future of toys.”

Lego's Mindstorms was one of the most successful robotic toy systems back at the turn of the millennium, and it continues to be a strong seller with robot fans. Launched in 1998, the current version of Mindstorms, NXT ($299), was released in 2006. According to Lego, its users are 60 percent adults and 40 percent kids ages 10 to 14. Befitting its creation by a construction toy company, the Mindstorms NXT is essentially a tool set that allows builders to make robots of their own design rather than manipulating a pre-assembled one. The NXT has a 32-bit microprocessor memory, four input and three output ports, a real-sound speaker and Bluetooth technology. Built-in sensors offer precise measurements—including eyes that can gauge distance and movement and can even detect objects; ears that allow the bot to react to sound commands; fingers that react to touch; and light sensors to detect colors and light intensities. NXT robots can be programmed within 30 minutes, Lego says.

For consumers with more to spend and a yen for a more traditional toy robot experience, ToyTent, a Kottenai, Idaho-based online retailer of collectible tin robots from Europe, Japan and the U.S., distributes the Giant Attacking Martian robot, created by the Osaka Tin Toy Institute in Japan. The 2-foot-tall, $3,200 tin android is battery-powered, remote-controllable and available in a limited edition of only 100 units.