by Caleb Brewer

Created on: November 28, 2009

Some toys simply catch on. Whether it is how they are packaged, what they look like or what they do, there are toys released every year that everyone feels they just have to have. Pleo will no doubt be one of these toys.

From the same creative mind that brought you Furbies comes a toy with a bit of a twist, but what makes Pleo unique is not immediately obvious. It could be the big cute eyes or the fancy skin wrapped around its robotic body, or perhaps its beauty is deeper than its skin. Maybe it lies in the 40 sensors talking to seven processors or the 14 motors providing Pleo's fluid and lifelike movements. That architecture behind the toy itself is amazing, as it is built not only to be smart and friendly and cute, but also to fit inside the frame of a camarasaurus; a real dinosaur.

Unfortunately, in Ugobe's concessions on what to put inside Pleo some of the more natural feel was lost. Pleo's movements don't seem completely natural and no, Pleo can not curl up at your feet. Pleo can move forward and backward, and can't get up if tipped, but it is still a huge step forward from anything seen on the toy market before.

Looking even deeper than the hardware that runs Pleo is the software that controls how the toy actually behaves. Most notably about Pleo's behaviors is that they change; or evolve. Pleo is built to grow up over time, to adapt to rules that are set for it, and to act more mature based on how it is treated. This unique aspect of Pleo allows the toy to do something that not a lot of others can; it allows Pleo to change over time, and become a new toy every day. So what if Pleo takes a turn for the worst or you just don't like how it is acting? Simply plug into Pleo's interface using the built in SD card slot or USB jack in order to change its behaviors, moods, sounds and so on.

Pleo is built to love and be loved, and it shall. Whether or not you decide to get one, Pleo is still fun to check out and watch, so look at some videos to see for yourself. Pleo is pretty perfect, built with all the right things to last. Maybe Pleo still walks like robot, but it is a robot after all.

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