• Interview
• Video

Robosen on its Transformers robot toys & the process of designing working robots

Robosen Robotics Senior Product Manager Kodi Tang spoke to us about the intricacies of its robot toys and its recent Transformers products.

TJ Denzer

November 16, 2023 3:40 PM

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At New York Toy Fair 2023, we caught up to Robosen Robotics, which has been an incredible robotics company creating cutting-edge robot toys over the course of years. It has culminated in the launch of several licensed Transformers toys such as Grimlock and Optimus Prime, which were shown at the fair. We also got to talk with Senior Product Manager Kodi Tang about how these products have evolved over time and what’s on the horizon for the company.

Funny enough, Tang told us that Robosen didn’t actually start as a toy company. The company actually worked on commercial robotics when it began. However, in 2019, the company began to working on consumer electronics and robotics. In 2020, it made contact with Hasbro and was able to secure the license to make Transformers products, and now it has Optimus Prime and Bumblebee available for purchase with Grimlock up for pre-orders.

There’s quite an art to designer consumer toy robots that can move and transform like Robosen’s can. First off, the company’s technology was designed from scratch in most cases. We’re talking about toy robots chockfull of moving parts, microchips, and actuators, which also demanded the use of special polymers for both visual appeal and function, and special wiring that was designed to fit inside these bots without inhibiting them in any way. The Robosen Transformers robot toys cost a pretty penny (its Bumblebee G1 Performance toy is one of the cheapest of the line at $399.00), but their quality is truly impressive. You can see Robosen’s whole product catalogue on its website.

Want to see more like this Robosen Transformers interview? Be sure to check out our YouTube channels at Shacknews and Shacknews Interviews for our latest video review, unboxing, gameplay, interview, and VOD content on the latest video games, technology, and toys.

TJ Denzer

Senior News Editor

TJ Denzer is a player and writer with a passion for games that has dominated a lifetime. He found his way to the Shacknews roster in late 2019 and has worked his way to Senior News Editor since. Between news coverage, he also aides notably in livestream projects like the indie game-focused Indie-licious, the Shacknews Stimulus Games, and the Shacknews Dump. You can reach him at tj.denzer@shacknews.com and also find him on Twitter @JohnnyChugs.