allgeektout

Release Date: 2009

At the Toy Fair this year, Klutz had a very interesting books for those interested in making simple robots, entitled “Invasion of Bristlebots”.

Invasion of the Bristlebots comes with two mini-robots — basically motorized toothbrush heads. These guys zoom around like caffeinated cockroaches, spinning, skittering, and bouncing off walls. Resistance is futile. The book bristles with ideas for robot games and activities.

Sounds like a pretty cool concept. Unfortunately, it’s frighteningly similar to a project posted by Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories – a project where you can make a toothbrush head robot called a “Bristlebot”.

Release Date: 2007

When Phillip Torrone from Make: Blog contacted Klutz, he received a response stating that it was developed internally, and that they thought that their idea was entirely original. I find this very hard to believe – perhaps if only the concept had been similar it would be understandable, but the fact that the name is the exact same? Klutz also said that it began development in 2007, the same year the Evil Mad Scientist project went up.

This is depressing that Klutz thinks they can market someone else’s idea just because they put it up on the internet. Hopefully this gets resolved soon.

[UPDATE 1]: According to Make, Klutz and Evil Mad Scientist have been talking and there is a possibility that Evil Mad Scientist will get credit in the final book. Yay!

[UPDATE 2]: Okay, it’s been resolved – Evil Mad Scientist will get credit in all future printings of the book. Good to know that it’s all been worked out.