You might not have a cool million for a real android but Sega is hoping its cheaper mini human-like toys will please the masses as its robotic hound Poo-Chi have more recently.

Working with Tiger Electronics, Sega has come up with the BOT series of humanoid toys that can walk, dance and 'talk' with people through facial expressions, body language and messages that appear on its LCD face.

While less sophisticated than Sony's Aibo cyber dog and light years behind Honda's life-size human-like robot Asimo, Sega claims BOTs are the first humanoid toy robot to be marketed commercially.

The first BOT to be launched this May, the C-Bot measuring 21.5cm tall and weighing about 400 grams, will be able to show emotions such as laughing and crying through its LCD, as well as using hand and neck movements to convey expression. The new droid will also be able to display on a monitor messages that have been sent to the owner over a mobile phone. Sega says that C2 will sell at around £30.

By the summer C-BOT will be joined by M-BOT a 1,980 yen (£12) robot that dances to music, and the W-BOT, a 4,980 yen robot that walks on two feet and can navigate its way around obstacles.

Inspired by the success of Sony's Aibo, the BOTs now complete a family loosely based on Sony's more advanced robotic dog. After Sony's pet wonder sold out within minutes on the internet Sega came up with copy-cat but much cheaper Poo-Chi. The toy went on to sell more than 100 million units worldwide. Sega and Tiger hope to sell more than 1.5m units in the first year.