'Roboscorpion,' from desert to dinner table

Time's running out. The holidays are almost here, and you need ideas to get a rise out of your boring relatives, who will already be on the lookout for the RC tarantula you unleashed on the last family gathering. That 44-pound roach bot would be ideal, but it's not for sale.

Enter the "Roboscorpion." This beast's motions have been pattered after the poisonous desert dweller, according to Gizmowatch, with independently moving head, tail, and claws that look sharp enough to make it the robotic equivalent of Edward Scissorhands. It's the closest thing we've seen to the menacing-looking "Ellos RescueBot" concept we craved months ago.

And even if you don't have family to terrorize nearby, you can always bring your new arachno-friend to work to feed on your co-workers' desk toys.