Pleo Robotic Dinosaur

Every Pleo is unique. Yes, each one begins life as a newly-hatched baby Camarasaurus*, but that's where predictability ends and individuality begins. Pleo doesn't just do what he's told. He develops his own personality, moods, and habits—all shaped by the time he spends with you. *Camarasaurus was a late-Jurassic North American herbivore, 60 feet long in adulthood and just Pleo's size as a newborn.

Pleo’s emotions:

Happy and curious
Pleo's natural disposition is alert and inquisitive. He ambles about with a bright eye, swaying tail, and leisurely pace, content to explore the sights, sounds, shapes, and textures of his world—and that, of course, includes you.

Playful and lively
If your Pleo loves a good tug-of-war or shows off in front of friends, congratulate yourself—it's all the fun you've had together that has made him the good sport that he is. In his excitement, he just might let loose with a few hoots and honks.

Scared and surprised
Let's not forget that this Camarasaurus is just a baby. Something in Pleo's new environment scares him ---see how he cowers? But the more he experiences, the more confident he becomes. And then he'll love surprises—the good kind.

Sad and vexed
A sociable Pleo who's alone too long or a hungry Pleo who's not getting fed can turn into a sad Pleo. How can you tell? His droopy tail and forlorn look let you know that he's looking for a friendly pat or a taste of his favorite leaf. Does Pleo ever get upset? Well, everybody has his limits—let's just say you shouldn't pull that toe of his too hard.

Pleo Awareness:

Senses
Stroke Pleo from head to tail, and he'll blissfully arch his back. Call out to him or shine a light, and see how he responds. Just like us, Pleo experiences the world through his senses.

Drives
Pleo's hungry. Getting sleepy. But hey, what's that over there? Like any creature, Pleo feels hunger and fatigue—offset by powerful urges to explore and be nurtured. He'll graze, nap, and toddle about on his own—when he feels like it! Pleo can change his mind and his mood, just as you do.

Communication
With a playful honk or a pesky tug, Pleo lets you know that he craves attention or food. And what does that foot-stomp mean? Have fun discovering Pleo's wide repertoire of vocalisations and gestures—the combinations are endless.

Pleo's Evolution:
Pleo is born!
The initial birthing stage lasts 5 to 10 minutes depending on your interaction with Pleo. In this stage Pleo opens his eyes to both you and the world for the very fist time, and he starts to acclimate to his environment. In this stage of Pleo's development he is very slow, and his sensors are not very responsive. The more you pet and nurture Pleo in this stage the faster he will develop and emerge as a more confident Pleo. Pleo is done "hatching" when he is fully awake and stands up on all four feet.

Hatchling
A new Life Form opens his eyes for the first time. Awareness glimmers as Pleo adjusts to the light. His limbs try a tentative stretch. The world is a flood of sensations. He'll notice you as soon as he's ready. Watch… Wait… Nurture… Your soft words and soothing touch are just what he needs.
After Pleo is born, he is in his "Hatchling" life stage for the remainder of his first charge cycle (about forty-five minutes). As a Hatchling, Pleo's basic behavioral drives will start to kick-in. He'll ask to be fed, he'll start to walk and explore his environment, take short naps like a baby, and he'll start to exhibit a wider range of emotions. He will begin to experiment with new sounds he can make. This is a fun time, when Pleo is extra "talkative" as he learns to express himself and his feelings.

Infant
Pleo's drive to explore overcomes his baby fears. He peers up at you. You scratch his chin. He investigates your finger. Shuffles closer. Honks a soft greeting in response to your voice. Discover the world together—it's the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Juvenile
Pleo's growing up. His explorations bring experience and confidence. A unique personality emerges, and continues to evolve. Is your Pleo bold or shy, playful or mellow, curious or scared of your canary? It all depends on the experiences you've shared. The Juvenile stage represents Pleo's entry into childhood where his full range of movement and behaviours will be exhibited, his capacity for new tricks will become apparent, and a unique and distinctive personality will start to emerge.

As Sensitive as a Baby

Pleo's sophisticated sensory system consists of nearly 40 devices that enable him to see, sense, touch and detect objects in order to move autonomously and explore his environment without requiring any remote control. This robotic dinosaur includes a colour camera with a white-light sensor that allows him to detect bright light from dark, see colours, detect motion, track a moving object, and perceive objects in front of him. This unit also includes binaural microphones on the left and right that give him stereophonic hearing, allowing him to detect sound direction and loudness through both ears. An infrared receiver and transmitter allow Pleo to identify, communicate and interact with one another, while another infrared interruptor allows Pleo to detect when something is being placed in his mouth. Meanwhile eight touch sensors on his chin, shoulder, legs, back and head are triggered by touch and allow him to "feel." What's more, this dinosaur has a skin that is constructed of a custom-formulated, soft thermoplastic material that's painted with an incredibly realistic and lifelike colouration.

Pleo also has over 100 custom-designed gears, and 14 motors for highly-articulated movement. Each motor has a force feedback sensor that makes them sensitive to forceful grabs at the dinosaur's legs, neck, tail and torso, causing him to shut down during trauma to avoid internal damage. Pleo will actually react to being hurt, perhaps exhibiting a limp, and can recover over time depending on the level of nurturing you exhibit. Ground sensors allow Pleo to know when a foot is on a solid surface or when he has been picked up, while tilt and shake sensors allow him to know if he has fallen or is being held upside down. The sensors will also wake him up after he has fallen "asleep." Both front and rear speakers even enable Pleo to communicate via cute honks and hoots, as well as other fun and natural sounds.

UGOBE Life OS is the complex platform of tools and technologies that enable Pleo's mechanical, electronic, sensory, and AI (Artificial Intelligence) systems to interact as a lifelike whole. Pleo’s owners can find training tips and download enhancements to Pleo from www.pleoworld.com, but his programming merely sets his wheels in motion, leaving the true magic of his development up to you.

Pleo comes in a green colour, weighs 3.5 pounds, and stands about 7.5 inches high and 21 inches long when on all fours. Pleo is designed for older children, teens and adults. (As Pleo is a highly sophisticated product which evolves into an inquisitive animal that requires attention and care, it is not considered suitable or intended for children under eight years of age.)

Pleo is powered by an internal, rechargeable NiMH battery that takes about four hours to charge and provides approximately an hour of active life. This power supply features a battery level indicator that causes Pleo to feel very tired and slow down, so you know precisely when he needs to be recharged. Pleo has two 32-bit microprocessors for central and image processing, and four 8-bit sub-processors for motor control. This robotic life form also has multiple built-in data ports, including a mini USB port for online downloads, an SD card slot for Pleo add-ons, and the infrared transceiver that allows Pleo-to-Pleo communications.