A robot that gives high fives and dances while playing music is not just a toy, it is a marvel of engineering, says a museum spokeswoman.
A prototype of Meccanoid, an interactive robot made with Meccano parts, will be at the Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT) in Auckland over the long weekend.
Primary pupils got to meet the bug-eyed bot - which looks similar to the Pixar character Wall-E - a little earlier than most on a school trip to MOTAT yesterday.
Seven Year 5 and 6 pupils "danced the robot" and shared high fives alongside the 1.2m-tall prototype, which uses smart technology.
The prototype responded to commands given through an iPad app, but the finished version of Meccanoid will react to voice commands and body movement as well as the app.
"This is quite a breakthrough," MOTAT spokeswoman Vanessa Hefer said.
"It's not just a toy, it's cutting edge technology in the field of robotics."
People keen to get their hands on the finished version, due out in September, can pre-order one for $499. NZME.