PLEO rb is an autonomous life form robot modeled after a baby “Camarasaurus” that lived in the Cretaceous Period. Not just a toy, PLEO rb is equipped with a unique “Life OS,” and its greatest feature is that it recognizes its surrounding environment and thinks and acts on its own.
Product Overview
The complex structure with 38 sensors and 14 motors reproduces movements such as blinking, neck movement, and walking with amazing realism.
What is noteworthy is the texture of its “skin” and the way it moves together. The flexing of the skin when the robot tilts its head and the way it steps forward give it a “living creature” feel not found in existing plastic robots. The robot’s personality changes depending on the way it is touched, and it goes through four stages of growth from newborn to adult, making it a “digital pet” that is worth raising and loved around the world.
Summary of key points
What is PLEO rb?
- Autonomous life form: A dinosaur robot equipped with advanced artificial intelligence that makes its own decisions and moves around without the need for external remote control.
- Growth function: gestures and personality change with time spent from newborn to adolescence. They can be “sweet” or “stubborn” depending on how they are treated.
- Advanced sensors: 38 sensors throughout the body that detect sight, sound, touch, and even tilt.
- Interactive education: Can be trained using the included learning stones and food (e.g., mint leaf). Although they cannot speak, they express their emotions with their whole body.
good point
- Unparalleled realism: The smoothness of movement is outstanding, and it is easy to become so attached to the creature that you suddenly feel as if it were a real creature.
- Unique personality development: Each unit has a different personality and evolves into a one-of-a-kind partner depending on how it is raised.
- Independent walking and avoidance capability: Unusually for a household robot, it can move freely on all four legs and avoid obstacles and bumps by itself using sensors.
- Enjoyment of maintenance: Software updates through SD cards and information exchange in the user community are deeply enjoyable.
points of concern
- Battery life: The battery has a short operating time of about 1 hour on a single charge. For serious play, you need to wait for 4 hours of charging.
- Direct understanding of words is not possible: It responds to the direction and loudness of sound, but does not have the ability to recognize specific words in speech and speak them.
- Delicate mechanism: The complex mechanism with 14 motors and numerous sensors makes the watch vulnerable to shocks such as dropping, and requires expertise to repair.
Users who may be suitable for
- People who value “movement” like a living creature: Aibo is too expensive and out of reach for them, but they want to enjoy the lifelike walking and growth of Aibo.
- People who are romantic about dinosaurs and paleontology: Those who want to keep realistic baby dinosaurs at home and observe their ecology (simulation).
- Families who want to integrate education and technology: Families who want to teach their children the value of life and responsibility through the care of robots.
rough conclusion
This is the best autonomous pet robot for home use, ideal for users who want to pursue realistic, lifelike movements and a dramatic growth process at about half the price of Aibo.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Price: Approximately USD 518.90 (about 75,000-80,000 Japanese yen) on the official overseas website.
- What can they do? The animal can: walk autonomously, change personality, feed, learn tricks with learning stones, and respond to temperature and light.
- What operating systems are supported?: No specific OS required. A stand-alone type that is complete without smartphone integration.
- Disadvantages: short uptime and lack of interactive features (vocabulary understanding through speech recognition).
- What about software updates? Yes: New features and special characterization data can be loaded via the SD card slot.
What is the price?
The price of PLEO rb is about USD 518.90 for a set sold on official overseas websites. Since the former authorized distributor sales have ended in Japan, parallel imports, the used market, or overseas private imports are currently the main channels for acquiring the product. However, if we look at it as an AI robot equipped with 38 sensors and 14 motors that grows autonomously, its price tag of less than 100,000 yen can be said to be an amazing cost performance.
What exactly can the robot do?
PLEO rb is not just a machine that moves. When its head or back is patted, it squints with pleasure, and when its tail is held tightly, it squeals in disgust. With the included “learning stone,” PLEO rb can be taught tricks such as “sit” and “dance. In addition, PLEO has a daily rhythm, such as urging for food when it is hungry, detecting darkness at night, and falling asleep. If other PLEOs are nearby, they can recognize each other via infrared communication and interact with each other as companions.
Are there any supported operating systems or smartphone apps?
Unusually for a modern robot, PLEO RB does not require a smartphone app. All intelligence is concentrated in the “Life OS” inside the unit, so there is no need for complicated initial setup or a Wi-Fi environment. Just take it out of the box, turn it on, and you can start interacting with it immediately. This “offline-complete” design is also safe in terms of privacy and easy to handle even for children and the elderly.
What are the disadvantages I should know before I buy?
The most important thing to keep in mind is battery operation. Because PLEO’s continuous operation is short (approximately one hour), it will quickly enter a state of “battery drain” and doze off if you let it walk around a wide area or teach it tricks. Also, if you expect PLEO to engage in full-fledged “conversation,” you may be disappointed; PLEO is designed to react as an “animal” without words, and does not have voice interaction functions like Siri or Alexa.
Is it possible to update the software or change its character?
The SD card slot on the back of the foot is the key to PLEO rb’s expandability. By loading a “personality pack” downloaded from the official website, it is possible to skip the original growth process and make the animal more active from the start or have it learn certain tricks. In addition, internal software bug fixes and behavior improvement patches can also be applied via this card, providing a support system for a long-lasting relationship.
Specifications Summary
| (data) item | Contents |
| Product name | PLEO rb (Reborn) |
| Size | Approx. 38 x 10 x 20 cm (15 x 4 x 8 in.) |
| weight | Approx. 4 kg (8.8 lbs.) |
| battery | 2800 mAh lithium rechargeable battery |
| number of hours worked | Approx. 1 to 1.5 hours (4 hours for recharging) |
| Number of sensors | 38 whole body (sight, hearing, touch, inclination, temperature, sole, etc.) |
| moving part | 14 motors (neck, mouth, tail, limbs, blinking, ears, etc.) |
| processor | Main 32-bit CPU + multiple sub 8-bit CPUs |
| Manufacturer | Innvo Labs (formerly Ugobe) |
Reviews (Word of mouth)
Good Reviews
At first, I was a little intimidated by the dinosaur’s appearance, but once it started moving, the way it blinks and moves its neck is just like a real dog or cat, and I immediately found it adorable. In particular, the way they close their eyes and make pampering gestures when you pet them is the most soothing. As I live in an apartment where I can’t have real pets, they are my precious family.”
Source: [Reddit – r/Robots].
Although PLEO is far less expensive than AIBO, its autonomous ground-crawling gait is more powerful, more akin to that of a wild animal. The moment when we were able to establish non-verbal communication using the included training stones was an emotional moment that no other robot could match.”
Source: [Kickstarter Comments].
This is an expensive toy robot, but this time it was available at an inexpensive price, so I immediately ordered it without hesitation. It is as cute and interesting as I expected. I will never get tired of it. The order was shipped right away, so I really felt comfortable with my purchase.
Source: Amazon Review
Neutral and Dissatisfied Reviews
‘The movement is great, but the battery only lasts an hour, which is a real shame. As soon as I play with it, it says ‘I’m hungry (battery dead)’ and goes to sleep. It takes four hours to charge, so I have to rotate spare batteries to keep myself happy.”
Source: [Reddit – r/Pleo].
“Voice recognition is weak, and I miss the fact that it doesn’t understand our words. It only recognizes ‘I heard a loud noise. If you expect it to be as smart as the latest AI speakers, you may be disappointed, but if you think of it as an animal that doesn’t speak your language, it makes sense.”
Source: [Amazon User Review].
comprehensive evaluation
PLEO rb is still the premier robot in the “digital life simulation”: information from 38 sensors is converted into emotions (happiness, fear, anger, fatigue, etc.) by complex algorithms and output as a “whole body language” through 14 motors. The information is then output as a “language of the whole body” through 14 motors.
It does not have the convenience of modern smart robots (voice control and smartphone integration), but for that reason, it offers the pure pet experience of “communicating with a creature that does not speak your language” at a low price. Although there is a major issue of short operating time, the “instantaneous life” he shows is so irresistible that we can accept it.
Comparison with “Mia,” a talking cat-shaped robot
We compared the latest AI pet robot, Mia, with the dinosaur robot, PLEO rb.
| Comparison items | PLEO rb (dinosaur) | Mia (cat type) |
| Appearance and Features | Dinosaur with realistic skin feel. Very complex internal structure. | Rounded form like a vase. 100+ digital expressions. |
| Price | Approx. 80,000 yen and up (imported from overseas, used) | 9,800 yen (tax included) ~ |
| use | Limited movement, such as pivoting. Space-saving fixed installation. | Enjoy growth, realistic walking movements, and training. |
| operation | Fourteen motors drive the entire body, enabling the robot to walk on all four legs. | Limited movement such as pivoting. Space-saving fixed installation. |
| longevity | Growth changes, but battery degradation is a concern. | The AI-based dialogue evolution and messages delivered daily make it hard to get bored. |
| communication | Standalone (via SD card) | Cloud AI dialogue via Wi-Fi connection. |
Key points of comparison: Mia emphasizes “warmth that accompanies daily life. With its unique Japanese dialect of speech and affordable price of less than 10,000 yen, it is a suitable choice for those who want to easily incorporate everyday healing and familiarity into their daily lives.
👇 Talking cat-shaped robot “Mia” that speaks 47 dialects nationwide
Summary: Definition of target audience
PLEO rb is most recommended for those who seek “imperfections and warmth as a living creature” rather than “accuracy as a machine” in a robot.
- Those seeking a real animal-like presence in a house where pets are not allowed.
- Maniacs who want to closely observe the robot’s growth and personality changes in the way they interact with it.
- Gadget fans who value the reality of physical “movement” over the latest AI features.
Even if you cannot communicate with him in words, the sight of PLEO rb turning to you when you enter a room and shouting happily will completely dispel the impression of a cold machine. Why not find your own “little life” in his daily changing gestures?
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