Allow me to introduce Benton. He's the brainchild of designer Mike Rivamonte. Unfortunately, Benton simply stands around looking distinguished -- he's a poseur, not a combat-hardened battlebot.
Rivamonte's obsession with technology started as a boy. He explains, "My work is greatly influenced by my family. As kids, my mom would take us to countless antique stores, curio shops and flea markets. During these 'field trips,' I marveled over dusty scientific instruments, phonographs and other obscure mechanical devices. I developed a deep appreciation and interest of inventions and history. I picked up the love of making things from my father and uncles. My dad built our first color television set, all kinds of radios and our first computer. He could and would build anything. We constructed many things together. My uncles, one a science teacher the other a carpenter, fueled my inquisitive, experimental nature and appreciation for the finer points of craftsmanship.
These sculptures reflect the imagination and influences of my childhood. They are my interpretation of robots and spacemen capable of flight and mischief. Rare and collectible objects from all over are transformed to create expressive unique characters. Each piece is constructed so that they appear as natural and lifelike as possible. I invite the viewer to enjoy their individual personalities and have as much fun observing the pieces as I do creating them."
Benton and his companions are created from all manner of vintage objects, ranging from old trolley fare boxes to vintage movie cameras and tube radios. You can rest assured that if I were Supreme Ruler of the world, I would squander billions to bring an army of benevolent Bentons to life... hunger and world peace be damned.
Mike Rivamonte's Robots [via Dinosaurs & Robots]
More Rivamonte robots on Flickr



It's been a long time since I've seen a robot programming kit packaged as fun and educational. The only thing I can think of outside of Lego's Mindstorms is the cheesy robot that came with the mid 80's Nintendo system. Am I alone in still wanting a home robot to be my best friend? I just don't see myself snuggling up to my Roomba.
They could also function as mini-security systems, demanding a password from intruders and shooting foam rockets at any loud noises or lingering threats. Perhaps their most disturbing feature was the "spy" mode, which meant you could use your R.A.D. to eavesdrop on other people's conversations. I can only imagine the fascinating conversations the early '90s R.A.D.s overheard my friends and I participating in - we were probably discussing whether or not one of the New Kids on the Block was going to be marry me. 

Product Enterprises concentrates on models from the first 26 years of the show, and in this case models the Doctor's deadliest enemy as they appeared in their oft-forgotten 1960's feature film debut. Movie Daleks have a claw arm rather than the famous toilet plunger, and have a more robust build overall. This impressive 12" remote control Dalek model is no exception. The spaceship-shaped remote controls the Dalek as its head scans left & right all while barking out phrases from the movie.
I asked Ron how the site came to be. He explained, "I have been always interested in robots and had to put them away
to make a living. Now that I am retired the passion has re-emerged. The
robot
Heathkit released four different programmable models in the 1980s, and
they proved quite popular with hobbyists and educators. Just imagine R2D2 crossed with a mid-1980s
Epson dot-matrix printer and you'll have a fairly good idea what they
looked like. HERO Jr. (right) included a 32K ROM of "behavioral utilities" to control
sensors, movement and even speech.
