Can you imagine a dog who has a crane for a tail or rubber-padded pinchers instead of paws? You can easily build such a super-specialized canine, or just about any other robotic creation you can dream up, with this 2K-9 robotic building kit from Robotix. With over 150 plastic parts (all compatible with other Robotix kits), four motors (two high-speed and two low), and a wireless remote control console (good up to 50 feet), you can build the 2K-9 in a snap and send it out to scour alien landscapes for scientific samples. Clear, step-by-step instructions show you how to build 2K-9, and you also get plans for two other units: Rover, a cyber-dog with a grabbing pincher; and ARAK-9, a dog with a working, winding crane for a tail. --Paul Hughes