I'm sure most have seen the first robot by death by audio (image to the right) and I always thought of it as one of their high up, custom effect boxes. Well I was browsing and I found that they recently released a new one for mass market, instead of just the large version hanging around in the stock room at analoguehaven. I think it's really interesting that they managed to circuit bend a kids toy into a mass marketable effects pedal, which just so happened to me my first adventure into circuit bending with a halloween voice changer. Anyway, I think the pedal can get sounds that are easily available (and less lofi) yet it has it's charm (read: it glows in the dark).
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If anything, I really wish that they would have kept the photo-eye or added an expression jack for a. the price that it's at and b. the endless "robot" knob twisting possibilities. I unfortunately can't tell you anything about anyone's or my own impression between the old and the new because I have yet to find an indepth demo of the first custom robot. Aside from the visual differences in size and offboard components I'm expecting that they may have also switched the chip to something a bit more readily and easily available.
Definitely shoulda kept the input/gain dial on the front- something that changes the sound so drastically shouldn't be buried within a pedal, even if they just made it a tiny dial on the front.
vs. 
