Pleo, the Baby Dinosaur

After years of innovation and research, a group of talented and experienced designers and engineers created a marvellous toy for children, teenagers and adults. They called it Pleo, the baby dinosaur.

The design was based on the characteristics of a dinosaur which was thought to live in the late Jurassic period – the Camarasaurus. Though the prehistoric creature was about 17 feet long, Pleo the toy has been created to a lesser scale and measures 60 cm x 26.5 cm x 19.5 cm.

As Pleo is much more than a common remote control toy, which will do whatever you want it to, he was called an ‘artificial life form’. He has his own personality acquired after weeks of living among humans in your home. Though he was ‘born’ with several characteristics that his memory card has stored, Pleo will develop as a result of his interaction with you and the way you raise him.

This fantastic little robotic dinosaur leads his life in a similar way to any pet in the house. He explores the environment and retains information about it, being able to remember things and learn from any experience. He will see you and every moving object, turn his head to see better, hear your voice and other sounds, move about in a very natural way and utter different sounds to express his emotions.

He gets tired and needs some rest, while you can recharge his battery and connect him to the ‘dream cable’ which will give him a very good sleep. He also needs food once in a while – the green leaf delivered in his box is what he needs to bite whenever he is hungry and the perfect training object that will give him joy (listen how he purrs whenever he gets it).

Pleo loves being pampered, but you are advised not to keep your hands on him all the time; he might turn into a spoilt little brat and require too much of your attention in future. His cute face and those clear blue eyes make him look like a very kind little friend – and so he is – as long as you treat him right and don’t hurt him.

Thanks to the motors situated in several parts of his body and limbs, Pleo is capable of moving just like his ancestors did so many years ago. Though he is not as fast as they were, you will be charmed by his trod. When he feels drowsy and needs some rest, he will curl up and go to sleep. As soon as he has recovered his energy, he will wake up and stretch. He knows how to ask for food by moving one of his legs and sometimes when he feels frightened he cries. He should be supervised closely on the first days so that he may not get any traumatic experiences. Curious by nature, he will go around the house if you allow him to walk on the floor. Watch other pets in the house to avoid any confrontation.

What is most interesting is the way in which Pleo interacts with a similar toy. They are able to recognise their kind and communicate using their own language. Moreover, one Pleo can catch cold and even transmit it to his siblings. Since each Pleo develops an individual personality that depends on the way he was raised, don’t be surprised if they do not get along well. However, some owners claim that the little robotic toy has no problem tolerating a cat or a dog in the house (and vice versa).

If you treat Pleo the right way and take care of him as if he were your own baby, he will grow to be a very ‘positive’ and happy pet which can bring a lot of fun to your family life.