Robot toys have come a long way in the last few years, they now come in all shapes and sizes and resemble all kinds of different species, from pandas to dragonflies to cats and then dogs. The robot stereotype is no longer R2D2 or Tin-Man-like although the robots are still very, well, robotic! That may be the whole point but what if you wanted a more life-like robot pal, one that didn’t come with red bleeping eyes and didn’t talk like a Kraftwerk record. Well, ironically the most life-like robot of them all has come in the form of a dinosaur. Yes that’s right, a robotic dinosaur. Pleo is his name and he is more of a pet than a robot. He needs nurturing and looking after and of course, he has to be fed!

Pleo starts off his life as a newly hatched Camarasaurus which means that you have to look after him through his younger years, just as you would with a kitten, puppy or child, after all you wouldn’t want him to suffer would you? Pleo can go through four different emotions, Happy and curious, Playful and lively, Scared and surprised and Sad and vexed, each triggered by however you treat him but don’t be a rotter, treat him nice!

Pleo feels hunger and fatigue, he can graze, nap, dilly-dally around on his own and he can change his mind and go through mood swings whenever he feels like it. You can interact with Pleo or rather, he can interact with you using his touch, sight and hearing sensors. He will let you know when he’s hungry, wants to play or just being a needy little dinosaur and wants a cuddle. He comes with his own training leaf that you can feed him with or tease him with depending on how cruel you are but watch out, he might go for your house plants! As Pleo gets older and goes through the evolution process he will be capable of a lot more on his own and will always be looking to learn new things.

If you are fed up with replacing dead goldfish or bored with that lazy rabbit that sleeps in its hutch all day long, go for a different type of pet, go for a robotic pet, go for a Pleo and spend the rest of your days loving this adorable little creature.

Posted on January 28th, 2008 by fraser