ROBOTS DREAMS - Robot news and robot hacks from a true robot geek

Sad But True...

This poor little orphan Pleo seemed so lonely and dejected on the shelf at Tsukumo Robot Kingdom yesterday. His rubber skin had definitely seen better days with it's paint worn away, and it's batteries flat. It was such a sad sight that we serously considered opening a robot dinosaur orphanage.

Unfortunately Pleo prices here, even after Ugobe went bankrupt, are still much higher than the US. This poor Pleo will probably end up in a nearby recycle discount shop, or hacked for spare parts.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Pleo appeals to U.S. Supreme Court Justice

We don't know for sure if Matt Bauer, creator of Rooks Pawn, was ever a Boy Scout or not. But, we do know that he's a wiz at practicing their 'Be Prepared' motto. For example, when an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States happened to come up on his radar screen, Matt immediate jumped at the chance to promote robotics.

Matt writes:

"Clarence Thomas and his son stopped by our shop today for his motor coach generator’s annual maintenance. Never would I miss a chance to talk about the importance of robotics to such an influential man. I don’t know how much bearing this encounter will ultimately have, but I’d like to think he walked away with at least a little food for thought… I know I have. Note: This was the first he and his son have seen a Pleo or heard of humanoid robotics."

Robot Application Developer Interviewed on ABC Nightline (Video)

Robert Oschler loves robots. We've given up trying to keep track of all the robots Robert has, but it has to be well over two dozen at this point, perhaps even more if you count the crazy remote controlled chimpanzee head (WowWee) as an actual robot. Robert is also the developer of the popular RoboDance software application for the WowWee robot line, and more recently the TOMY i-SOBOT humanoid robot.

So, we shouldn't have been surprised when the Nightline television program (see video below) decided to interview him for a recent news segment featuring Pleo, the new robot dinosaur.

Pleo Robot Debuts (Video)

Pleo, the AI packed robotic dinosaur infant, was introduced to the market here at the IREX show at the end of last November. IREX is the worlds largest robotic exhibition, and always draws huge crowds. Attendees are primarily local, as you might expect, but there are a large number of people that fly in from all over the globe just to see the latest and greatest in robot technology and design.

Pleo grabbed a lot of attention and interest. People really got into the Pleo experience (see video below) after they got the hang of it. The exhibitors booth was always crowded, and the staff was almost overwhelmed with questions from prospective Pleo parents. It will be interesting to see how the product is received here, and how well it sells over the next six months to a year.

Pogue Pukes on Pleo

We have to admit up front that we've been a little harsh on UGOBE and Pleo the robot dinosaur in the past. Truth is that we really like the "product", even though we do have some concerns about how it has been managed and promoted. We would even buy one, if UGOBE and the local distributors here in Japan didn't insist on a roughly 50+% markup over the US price.

But, we're just a small, niche blog that has a limited, if dedicated, following. We're not the New York Times, nor can we write as well, and as pointedly, as David Pogue. Pogue, for those that don't already know him, is one of the world's top and  most widely read technology reviewers and critics. He's even been invited to entertain and enlighten the attendees at the TED conferences.

In his hands-on review of the Pleo this week titled "Pleo the (Yawn) Dino-Robot. Next!", Pogue was loud and clear in voicing his, and his children's, opinions that the Pleo experience doesn't last more than half a hour, and that the company's hype for the robot is inflated by a thousand times.

While he does say that "... everyone should have the chance to play with a Pleo...", he then goes on to propose a new website scheme that would pass Pleo's from user to user at a fraction of the original purchase price - kind of a Pleo/NetFlix mash-up.

Perhaps it comes down to the fact that this type of toy/gadget/novelty isn't for everyone. It's not like a mp3 player, laptop computer, or cell phone.

Some people, like us, will be fascinated by Pleo, and will end up spending hours, days, weeks, or even years getting a lot of pleasure, excitement, surprise, and enjoyment out of it. For others, maybe the majority, Pleo will turn out to be a lot like the original Robosapien - a 'wow' gotta have it kind of toy for the moment and then spend the rest of its life on the shelf or in the dark bedroom closet corner.

Pleo Robot Gets Down With Young Frankenstein (Video)

We're big Mel Brooks fans, and it's occurred to us more than once that if Brooks ever designed a robot it would end up looking, and behaving, a lot like Pleo. After finding the video below on YouTube, we're convinced we were right on target.

Pleo Falls Into Trap in Japan

Well, unfortunately it looks like we won't be getting a Pleo anytime soon, at least not here in Japan. If we really want one we'll have to buy it in the US during one of our trips and bring it back with us. Ugobe, the developers of the fascinating robot dinosaur have apparently fallen into the same trap that other foreign manufacturers have in the past, which is unfortunate.

Pleo will be introduced in Japan with pre-orders being accepted by Business Design Laboratory starting December 1st. But, the list price will be 52,500 yen (almost 500 dollars)! Business Design Laboratory sells other robot products at a premium, like the $4,000+ Hello Kitty robot, the ifBot that sells for close to $6,000, and Nuvo at well over $5,000. None of these products appear to be setting any sales records.

Pleo's Finally Taking His First Steps - Kind Of...

Thanks to a timely heads-up from Robert at RobotsRule.com, we found out that the long awaited Pleo robot dinosaur is finally taking his first baby steps. And, like most babies that are trying to learn how to walk under their own power, Pleo seems to be taking one step forward, one step back, and a little shuffle to the side here and there.

Other than the clear and very positive news that Pleo is finally in production, the latest UGOBE status announcement seems to be a real mixed bag.

Is Pleo A Turtle? (Video)

David Calkins, the guiding spirit behind RoboGames and an avid AIBO fan-atic, recently introduced Pleo to the September SAAG (Sacramento Area Aibo Gathering) meeting, and from the comments, and actions, on the video below, they were really impressed.

The video (see below) includes five minutes extracted from the 15 minutes or so they had to play with Pleo. As you might expect, Aibo users have a lot of experience with small AI-type animal robots, and asked a lot of interesting questions, including some that would never have occurred to us. For example, like a turtle, Pleo can't get up by himself if he ends up getting turned over. Our most important impression from the session was that people think he's incredibly cute and can't seem to keep from constantly petting it.

No more 'spoilers'. We'll let you check out the video for more insights into the worlds first infant robot dinosaur. 

Pleo Release Date Pushed Back Due to Battery Issues

UGOBE announced a few minutes ago that shipments of the long awaited Pleo robotic  dinosaur have been pushed back due to a change in their battery strategy. Originally the robot was to carry a single battery pack on board, and would go to its 'food bowl' to recharge when necessary. Now, because of problems that were uncovered during the "pre-production testing", UGOBE is switching gears to implement multiple rechargable battery packs - presumably that the owner/parent will have to change manually. Here's an excerpt from their email:

"During pre-production testing, the UGOBE? team encountered some significant problems with Pleo's battery life. We solved these problems in a way that I think you will appreciate: all Pleos, including First Hatch Pleos, are now designed to have an easily removable battery and an external charger for the battery. That means that with multiple batteries and chargers, you can keep Pleo going for hours on end. However, implementing this design change will delay production. We are working hard to make sure everyone who has ordered a Pleo will receive one by the holidays."