RSAP gives a classic robot a second life through conversation, expressive gestures, memory and direct movement controls. His name is pronounced “are sap.”
Please read first. RSAP is a Revenant Robotics conversion of a WowWee RoboSapien X that you already own. It is independent of, and not made, sponsored or endorsed by, WowWee. See
section 11 for safety, privacy and legal notices.
Talk
Ask questions and continue naturally with follow-ups.
Wake
RSAP greets you after his startup movement.
Move
Movement begins on request. Supervise the robot and keep the area clear.
Current build: This revision reflects the installed features recorded on October 20, including conversation improvements, Remote motion safeguards, longer listening, the microphone warning and temporary Remote speech awareness. Normal-use evaluation continues; installed features are not a guarantee of every physical or conversational outcome.
Ask direct questions and continue with natural follow-ups. RSAP is intended to answer calmly in complete, natural sentences, with friendly companionship, independent judgment and respectful disagreement. A fitting opinion or dry observation may still appear; humour should give way to serious or frustrated moments. You can ask him to drop the teasing. The revised tone is installed and still being evaluated in normal use.
Good question styles
- Ask a direct question.
- Add detail when the subject is ambiguous.
- Refer naturally to the active topic.
Conversation tips
- Speak at a normal pace and volume.
- Wait for RSAP to finish before speaking.
- Repeat or rephrase if room noise masks a phrase.
Time and date
Ask “What time is it?” or “What is today’s date?” RSAP can report the local time and date using his configured system clock and time zone.
Weather and forecasts
Ask “What’s the weather today?” or “Will it rain tomorrow?” for the configured home location. Name a city for another place, for example, “What’s the weather in Vancouver?” Weather requests need an internet connection.
RSAP supports conversation in five languages:
Say “Speak English,” “Speak Spanish,” “Speak French,” “Speak Portuguese,” or “Speak Italian” to latch that language. Another language command replaces it. Say “Follow my language automatically” to release the latch. A language change keeps the current conversation topic.
Greek is not supported in this version.
Speak clearly at a normal pace and wait until RSAP finishes replying before speaking again. Talking over his reply may cause him to miss your words.
If RSAP misses you: face the microphone, wait for speech and movement to finish, and repeat or rephrase. Radio, music, mechanical noise and distance can affect recognition.
Longer turns and pauses
A single utterance can now run for up to 60 seconds. RSAP uses speech-end detection with a local quiet fallback of about 2.8 seconds; a sufficiently long pause may end your turn before the 60-second limit. Noise and recognition errors can still interrupt a turn. Break very long requests into shorter turns.
If you reach the limit: At 60 seconds of capture, the unfinished request is discarded and the software requests STOP. RSAP ignores the remaining speech until quiet so that the tail is not treated as a new command. Wait for quiet, then repeat a shorter request. Cloud-based spoken STOP recognition is unavailable during this discard interval; use the separate Remote STOP control or accessible physical power control if you need to stop movement. A STOP request is not confirmation of a physical stop.
Slow replies or a quiet startup
Reply delays remain under investigation; this update does not promise faster replies. If a delay recurs, note the approximate time and the delay from finishing your question to the first spoken word. Bluetooth microphone readiness can also be delayed at startup. Give the microphone time to become ready before retrying; recurring silence needs support rather than repeated commands.
RSAP speaks during startup, conversation, some gestures and shutdown. Wait for the reply to finish before your next question.
If audio is interrupted, ask RSAP to repeat or rephrase the answer.
Bluetooth microphone battery: RSAP gives one low-battery warning when the reported microphone level is 10% or below. Recharge the microphone; another warning is rearmed after its reported charge reaches 30%. The percentage can be approximate.
RSAP can also be operated from the dedicated iPhone Remote over the local network. Opening the app does not take control by itself; use POWER to enter Remote Mode. The app shows ONLINE when RSAP is reachable and REMOTE ON while the iPhone owns the control session.
Movement
The central D-pad provides walk backward, walk forward, turn right, turn left and a central STOP control. The arrows are arranged from the operator's viewing perspective.
Arms & body
Separate left and right arm panels provide Arm Up, Arm Down, Arm In and Arm Out. Tilt Left/Right and Lean Forward/Back are also available.
Performances
High Five, Demo 1, Demo 2, All Demos, Dance and Reset are available as direct controls.
TEXT & VOICE
TEXT speaks exactly what is entered. VOICE uses iPhone speech recognition and sends the recognized words to RSAP to speak exactly as entered. These controls do not compose a conversational reply.
Lost connection and STOP: The active control session uses a heartbeat with a three-second timeout. Losing that heartbeat triggers a software STOP request and Remote cleanup; POWER OFF also requests STOP before exit. This is not an instantaneous or physically verified stop guarantee. Stale AI replies and actions are guarded across control transitions, but supervised STOP and connection-loss checks remain important. Watch the robot and keep access to the physical power switch.
Memory boundary: Remote movement, actions and literal TEXT/VOICE submissions are not automatically written as episodic conversation memory. Sending a Remote line does not itself ask the AI for a reply or save a memory.
The current RSAP iPhone Remote does not include a camera.
Following up on Remote speech: After returning to ordinary conversation, you can ask about a line RSAP just finished speaking through TEXT or VOICE. He may identify it as his own spoken line supplied by the Remote operator. Up to four completed lines remain available for up to five minutes in temporary memory; they do not imply that a human replied or that the statement is true. Changing topic, STOP, shutdown or restart clears this context. Re-entering Remote can retain completed lines that are still within the time limit.
Temporary speech awareness does not automatically create a saved memory. Later genuine conversation uses the normal memory rules. Use Remote only over a trusted connection configured for the robot; network reachability does not identify an authorized operator.
Expressive gestures may accompany speech. Keep the area clear whenever RSAP is active.
Conversation gestures
BURP for attentionWHISTLE for bewildermentOOPS for surprise, disbelief or humourROAR for surprise or celebrationTALK_BACK used sparingly
Direct requests
- “Step back” / “back up a bit” performs one finite backward step; “go backward” continues until STOP.
- “Turn right” or “turn left” performs one finite turning step.
- “Go right” or “go left” turns continuously until STOP.
- “Wave” uses the right-hand sweep.
- “High five” performs the motion and speaks a short randomized line a few seconds into it.
- “Dance” and “show off” run bounded performance routines with occasional chatter.
- Say STOP to interrupt an active performance.
Use a direct forward request to move forward. “Turn right” and “turn left” each perform one finite turning step. “Go right” and “go left” begin continuous turning and require an explicit STOP. “A bit,” “a little,” or “slightly” always selects a shorter bounded movement.
Movement safety: use a stable floor and an unobstructed area. Continuous movements require STOP. Stay nearby and keep the physical power switch accessible. Do not rely on gestures or body awareness to prevent collisions.
RSAP can recall some previous conversations across normal restarts. Try:
- “What did we talk about this morning?”
- “What did we discuss today?”
- “What did we talk about yesterday?”
- “What was our last conversation?”
- “What music were we listening to today?”
- “What did I do today?”
Ask about a previous conversation or a time period. RSAP may recall relevant exchanges, but his memory is limited and may omit details. Recalled statements are not independent proof that an event occurred.
Recall limits: retrieval is read-only and bounded. A remembered exchange is evidence of what was said, not proof that the statement was correct or that an event occurred. Recall questions do not become new episodic memories.
No calendar connection: RSAP cannot read, create, change, move, cancel or delete calendar events.
Remote Mode: Remote-only activity is excluded from automatic episodic conversation memory. Recent completed Remote speech can briefly inform a genuine follow-up, but this temporary context clears as described in section 6. Losing it after restart does not mean saved conversation memories were erased.
You can clarify or correct RSAP during a real conversation. Relevance and learning remain under evaluation; a correction does not guarantee a lasting change or perfect future recall.
RSAP may notice movement or handling and use limited controller information when describing his physical state. A dispatched command or STOP request does not establish actual travel, final position or a physical stop. He should distinguish observations from uncertainty; these reports can be mistaken and do not authorize movement.
Handle with care: keep RSAP stable, avoid lifting him while moving, and supervise all movement. His awareness is not a substitute for safe handling.
A normal restart preserves stored conversation memories and repeats startup behaviour. An explicit shutdown request starts a farewell and requests STOP before powering down. A spoken acknowledgement or software STOP request does not by itself prove that physical motion has ended. Keep access to the physical power switch and follow the supplied power instructions.
Please read this section before using RSAP. It applies to everyone who owns, uses, or is near RSAP.
Intended use
For adult owners. This manual is for owners of a robot converted by Revenant Robotics. The conversion is a service performed on a robot you already own; the original robot and its parts remain your property. RSAP is a companion and hobby robot for indoor use on a level surface. It is not a medical, safety, security or emergency device. Features and commands may be updated over time, and some depend on an internet connection and on third-party services that can change or become unavailable.
Supervision and safety
Adult supervision required. RSAP is not a toy and is not intended for use by or around unsupervised children. RSAP can move and swing its arms and may pinch fingers or topple. Keep people, pets, stairs, ledges, liquids and fragile objects clear of the robot, and keep the physical power control within reach whenever it is active. You are responsible for supervising its use and for deciding whether it is safe to operate in your environment.
Privacy, recording and data
🔒 What RSAP hears and sees. RSAP has a microphone and listens for speech. To understand speech and produce replies, the words you speak and related conversation text are sent over the internet to xAI (Grok), the AI service built into RSAP; the provider is fixed and cannot be changed by the owner. This happens through your own account and API key (see “Your accounts” below). That provider may keep an archive of your conversations under its own terms and privacy policies. If you use VOICE in the iPhone Remote, your iPhone’s speech recognition processes what you say before the text is sent to RSAP. Weather requests send the requested location to a weather service. Do not say or show RSAP anything you would not be comfortable sending to an online service. Do not share passwords, financial details, health information or other sensitive information with it.
Stored on the robot. Conversation memories (spoken exchanges and recalled topics) are stored on the robot and persist across normal restarts. They are not a reliable record and can be wrong or incomplete. Revenant Robotics does not receive or store your conversations, images, recordings or email through RSAP; they stay on your robot and in your own accounts, unless you choose to give us access, for example for support. Your AI provider and email provider keep and process data under their own terms and privacy policies, which Revenant Robotics does not control.
Your accounts. Your robot is set up to use an email account and an xAI (Grok) account (API key) that belong to you. You are the account holder, you accept that provider’s terms of use (including any age and acceptable-use rules), and you are billed by the provider for usage. Keep your API key and email password private; anyone who has them can use your accounts. If you revoke the key or close the account, the robot’s AI features stop working. Revenant Robotics is not the provider of those services and does not control their availability, pricing, accuracy or policies.
People nearby. RSAP can capture audio (and any music or sound in the room) of anyone within range, including guests and bystanders. As the owner, you are responsible for telling people when RSAP is active and for obeying the laws that apply where you use it, including consent rules for recording audio, images and video. Do not use RSAP to record, monitor or surveil anyone without their knowledge or in places where people expect privacy.
Accuracy and AI-generated content
Replies, descriptions, recalled information, weather and time-sensitive answers may be inaccurate, incomplete or out of date. Do not rely on RSAP for medical, legal, financial, safety or emergency decisions, or for detecting danger. What RSAP says or suggests is generated by the xAI (Grok) AI service and is not advice from Revenant Robotics.
Conversations are unpredictable. Replies are generated by an AI service and can be unexpected, inappropriate or upsetting, and some topics may be distressing or triggering for some people. RSAP is not a substitute for professional medical, mental health or crisis support, and is not suitable as a companion for anyone who may be vulnerable or for children without an adult present. If you or someone near you is distressed, stop the conversation, switch RSAP off, and contact a qualified professional or local emergency services.
Software, modification and tampering
Do not tamper. The software, prompts and configuration that Revenant Robotics installs on RSAP are licensed to you for use on your own robot. They are not sold, and you do not receive ownership of them. Do not copy, extract, reverse engineer, alter, resell or redistribute them. Do not open, rewire or modify the electronics, battery, charging system, sensors, motors or enclosure, or disable, bypass or override any safety feature, except through Revenant Robotics or as expressly described in this manual. Do not attempt to access anyone else’s robot, accounts or data.
Unauthorized changes. Changes made by anyone other than Revenant Robotics may make RSAP unsafe or unreliable, void any service warranty or support, and make you responsible for resulting damage or injury. Revenant Robotics is not liable for problems caused by unauthorized modification, repair or tampering. These terms apply to the extent permitted by law and do not limit any right you have under applicable law that cannot be limited by contract, such as rights to repair your own property.
Warranty and liability
Provided “as is.” RSAP and this manual are provided “as is” and “as available”, without warranties or conditions of any kind, express or implied, including fitness for a particular purpose, to the fullest extent permitted by law. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Revenant Robotics is not liable for any indirect, incidental, special or consequential loss, or for injury, property damage or data loss, arising from the use of or inability to use RSAP. Nothing in this manual limits any rights you have under consumer protection or product safety law that cannot be limited by contract. Revenant Robotics does not warrant the condition of the original robot or of original parts you supplied. You use RSAP at your own risk.
Independence and trademarks
Independent project. RSAP is a Revenant Robotics conversion of a WowWee RoboSapien X that the customer already owns. WowWee and RoboSapien are names of their respective owners, used here only to describe the original robot. WowWee did not make, authorize or endorse the conversion, and Revenant Robotics is not affiliated with WowWee. Converting a robot may void the original manufacturer’s warranty, and the original manufacturer does not support the converted robot. All other product names, trademarks and brands mentioned are the property of their respective owners and are used only to identify them. No endorsement or affiliation is implied.
© 2026 Revenant Robotics. All rights reserved. Manual revision October 21, 2026. This manual may be updated at any time; the version on this page is the current one.
