Pleo responds to touch, visual stimuli, and even physical position. It can detect whether it is standing up, lying down, or even being hung by its tail. It’s bright blue eyes open and close to simulate life, though they can’t actually see anything. The main image sensor, a color camera, is in its nose, and there are infrared sensors in its snout and mouth.

Pleo’s animation and sounds are well synchronized. Audio emanates from its open mouth, and the panting is usually timed to the rhythmic motion of the bot’s body. The illusion that Pleo is alive is partly spoiled by the near constant whir of the 14 motors embedded in its body. You do get used to the sound, however, and will likely look past the distraction, as I did, to its realistic responses. Pleo comes with a USB port so you can download updates, and there’s an SD card slot for additional tricks and interactions.

Pleo’s battery can take up to 3 hours to recharge, and then you get roughly an hour of playtime.

At $349, the Ugobe Pleo is pricey, but it is one of the most sophisticated personal home entertainment robots on the market today.

Ugobe Pleo Review
$349 list
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