WowWee Interview - 2004

WowWee was founded in 1982 by brothers Peter and Richard Yanofsky.

"We spent more than two-and-a-half years developing [Robosapien], with the design and look being developed by the WowWee team and the mechanism and internal elements done by Tilden," [chief operating officer Eric] Lau explains.

After testing on different age groups, it was eventually concluded that the "toy" was suitable for kids aged anywhere between three and 80.

"Young children enjoy the simple demonstration functions, like Robosapien's kung fu and dance routines, while adults enjoy tinkering with more sophisticated functions," says Lau.

"The second generation will be taller and more solid," he says. "The current version has seven servo motors, while the new one will have 14. It will cost more, too, but there are many more features."

Whereas the company used to produce up to 20 different new products a year, WowWee intends concentrating on a smaller number of high quality lines as it is confident of continuing to command the attention of the most
important buyers.

"We do unique products and we will expand our R&D resources to maintain our brand," Lau says. "Our reputation is for innovation, and we're successful because we have a strong image in the industry."

WowWee Ltd
Suite 301A, Energy Plaza,
92 Granville Rd,
Tsim Sha Tsui East,
Kowloon, Hong Kong
Tel: 852-2739-5288
Fax: 852-2724-6931

Article Link (HKTDC)