Several years ago when this site first started there was an Androbot section,
we hope to be able to bring that section back someday soon, however this
is the Atari Historical Site and our focus is on Atari.
Atari had many dealings with Androbots, Inc. Androbots was
part of what was called the Catalyst group. Catalyst were hi-tech
company's funded by Nolan Bushnell, Atari's founder.
Although the original TOPO 1 and TOPO 2 robots were primarily designed
for use with Apple ][ computers, Androbots an Atari teamed up to design
SIO interfaces and a special version of Atari LOGO to allow the use of
Androbot TOPO 1 robots to be controlled by Atari computers (The 1200XL
would not work without the SIO power modification). These robots
were to be used in Atari's computer camps as learning tools for teaching
basic programming skills with LOGO.
Atari then began work with Androbots to create an all new product called
Androman. This would be an interactive real-time video game
for the Atari 2600 VCS. The system would consist of two parts:
the first part would be the video game played on the VCS, the second part
would be the actual 8" high Androman (later to be renamed Atariman) robot
which would move across a plastic mat with a lunar landscape called an
"Androscape" and the goal was to manuever both the on screen robot and
the real robot through the terran in the least amount of time to gain the
highest score.
