You've got a friend in me

UGOBE introduces a tiny dinosaur called Pleo who wants nothing more than to play with and be loved by you.

In the mid 1970's an advertising executive by the name of Gary Dahl introduced a new concept to consumers when he conjured up one of the first artificial pets. Mind you, Dahl's incarnation wasn't the most hi-tech product on the market but you have to give the man credit for originality. The Pet Rock, as it would later be marketed, was a short lived fad that would leave tens of thousands of buyers minus four dollars for what was fundamentally a pebble in a box, and would make Mr. Dahl a millionaire. While the longevity of Dahl's "Pet" would be cut short by it's functional limitations and lack of interactivity with owners (it is a rock after all), the concept would continue to intrigue inventors for decades. Is it possible to use technology to create a new "man's best friend" while leaving out all that messy clean up and neutering costs? Well the California based creative design company UGOBE sure thinks so. And while they aren't planning on packaging any pebbles just yet, they are looking to the prehistoric times for inspiration.

Pleo is your average newborn Camarasaurus. He's playful, inqui- sitive, lively and easily surprised. Only problem is he was born about 150 million years late. That's because Pleo isn't actually a Jurassic Period herbivorous dinosaur, but one of the forerunning breakthroughs in artificial pet technology. With a talented team of designers and engineers UGOBE has successfully delivered one of the most awe-inspiring consumer friendly robots in recent memory. Stroke Pleo and he'll arch his back. Stick your finger in his mouth and he'll start a game of tug of war. Make loud noises while he sleeps and his little eyes will flicker awake. Tickle the bottom of his feet, and the little guy will start giggling. The creators of Pleo have gone to great lengths to conjure an illusion of life in the automaton, and in many respects they have succeeded.

Artificial pets have been around for years, and for the most part the development and demand of these products have been lead by the Japanese. The Tamagotchi was one of the first of its kind to be globally accepted. Released in 1996, the portable digital pet became so popular with kids that it had to be banned from schools in almost every country it was sold. Then came AIBO, Sony's answer to an artificial K-9. While offering an interesting novelty upon first release, AIBO's lack of a personality and hefty price tag (¥250,000 on its initial release) eventually led to it having to be put down. UGOBE seems to have bypassed a lot of these pitfalls.

Pleo is brightly colored, not metallic. He has lifelike eyes and gestures, not just a series of flashing lights. With 14 motors and over 100 gears designed specifically for movement, Pleo's motion seems fluid and natural. All these things fuel the ruse and a unique personality within the 7.5 inch high, 3lb "mini-saur".

So if you're lonely in that six mat tatami room or yours, or you're looking for a birthday present for a child 8 years and up, Pleo may be for you. His infrared and camera based vision system (along with 4 foot switches and 14 force feedback sensors) will make sure your new investment doesn't go careening off the dining room table. And to further newborn Pleo's growth UGOBE will be making downloads available for his built in micro SD and USB ports, so that you'll be able to teach him new tricks in the near future. And with a price tag of about ¥52,000, who says money can't buy you love?

Text: James Fleming • Photos: Courtesy Ugobe Inc.