Omnibot 5402

The original Omnibot model 5402 was the "flagship" robot released by toy company TOMY at the time of its release in 1984. Other robots in the family include Verbot, Dingbot, Flipbot, Hootbot, Crackbot, and Omnibot 2000. The original retail price was approximately $250 USD (approx. $600 USD in 2018 money). The Omnibot 5402 was a robot about a foot tall with a built in cassette player used for both music and cassette based programming, RC remote control, and a built in microcomputer with a clock, and programming capabilities. The computer unit was also completely seperate from the Omnibot, even having a dedicated speaker (located slightly to the left of the main one). The remote control allowed you to move the Omnibot forward, backward, left, or right. It also allowed you to talk through the remote's in built microphone and broadcast it through Omnibot's integrated speaker, and play built in "robot sounds". The main robot required a 6-volt sealed lead acid rechargeable battery (included with charger) for the robot's main functions, and two AA batteries for the built in computer. The remote control required four AA batteries. Later after the initial launch, an 'Omnibot MKII" with dedicated motor ports on the back for direct control was released.

Today, the Omnibot 5402 is relatively easy to find on eBay. Prices are commonly $100 to $300 for working and "as is" robots alike.

Trivia

 * In recent times, many hobbyists have turned to hacking, tweaking and improving their Omnibots. Commonly added features are IR Sensors, video cameras, speech recognition chips, stronger motors, microcontrollers, sonars and other advanced enhancements that would not have been possible in the 80s.
 * In the early 2000s, a gutted Omnibot 5402 was used as part of a contestant on the US television show Battlebots. The robot, named Dr. Inferno Jr. (an updated version of another combat robot that used a gutted Omnibot) won several awards in the competition's "Lightweight Division". The Omnibot on top of the drivetrain had no dome on top, and its arms were replaced with twin saws.