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| Prehistoric Roarrr! Pleo Review Posted: 24 Sep 2008 03:54 AM CDT Every Pleo is autonomous. Yes, each one begins life as a newly-hatched baby Camarasaurus, but that’s where predictability ends and individuality begins. 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 dinosaur can change his mind and his mood, just as you do. Is this the future of pet ownership? Find out after the jump. I always thought Ugobe did right by deciding to emulate a dinosaur instead of a domesticated animal because of creative simulated freedom. No one really knows how dinosaurs behaved and there’s even less information on baby dinos. That brings me to Pleo’s birthing because like Sony’s Aibo, when you first unpack and flip the on-switch, he’s just a baby who wants nothing but love. I was all schoolgirl giddy when I heard his first grunts. After all, I was a new proud father of a baby Camarasaurus, but Pleo’s birthing process is pretty lackluster. He doesn’t move much or walk at all mainly because he doesn’t know how. He just lunges forwards and back cooing into the air. Okay so my first few minutes as a new dad weren’t what I expected. It was time to break out the instructions. All Pleo’s start out as babies. The birthing process lasts about 10 minutes. After that, Pleo’s personality is heavily shaped by your interaction. Constantly coddling him will lead to a more social pet. Leaving him alone for extended periods of time means a bolder Pleo willing to explore on his own. The sense of discovery and witnessing how people react, (who full well know this is not a real animal), is the most exciting part of the experience. Pleo is laden with technology to help him discern his environment and his position (he hates to be upside down and can’t upright himself). Touch sensors, camera, microphones, infrared sensors, and pads on his feet all work in tandem to simulate a surprisingly life-like animal. His skin is beautifully textured and rubbery to the touch. There’s an immediate connection to pet him and his affectionate mannerisms cleverly encourage more. Watching my office mates play with Pleo was probably as exciting for them as it was for him. The constant petting, rubbing, and even kissy-face noises all seem to make Pleo very happy. Left alone, Pleo succumbs to his boredom and roams off or goes to sleep. But the number of things you can do with Pleo are far too great to ever let that happen. He’ll come to you when called, he can sit, he’ll cuddle if you craddle him, plays tug-of-war, writhes and almost giggles if you tickle his feet, cry if you hold him by the tail, and he’ll even sing! There are also some things Pleo does that are pretty freakin’ AMAZING but I won’t say what they are. Let’s just say part of the experience is being surprised. The Pleo community is quite vocal and active. There’s an SD card slot and USB port to upload downloadable personality modes. Turn your fun loving Pleo into a watch dog, or have him go on a rampage via Tyrannosaurus mode. I’ve tried both programs and they’re amazing. If anything the personality modes add to the novelty and make the experience all that more enjoyable. Pleo was designed by Ugobe. The company’s vision is to inspire mystery and awe in people, provide extended novelty and entertainment, and ride the edge between popular culture and sci-fi. Top people from MIT, CMU, and a host of other universitives came together to craft this prehistoric experience. What we liked:
What could be improved:
Ugobe has done a wonderful job bringing Pleo to market. We vividly remember when he was just a concept. As Sony decided to kill off Aibo, questions were raised about whether or not another entertainment robot could be successful. Ugobe was smart in choosing to move away from the high-tech route and instead played to the very things that tug and pull on our emotions. Our need to care and baby anything so small and cute are almost innate. Pleo’s price point is significantly more affordable than Aibo ever was; only $349 and yet they both do very similar things. Although the true definition of artificial intelligence prerequisites constant growth, Pleo eventually hits a glass ceiling and won’t exceed the limits of his programming. However that doesn’t take away from the experience. He really has become a part of the family now. My Beagle has accepted him. Aibo has accepted him. We’ll be sad to see him go. Big thanks to Shift Communications for providing us with a Pleo. Designer: Ugobe [ Buy It Here ]        |
| Headphones Meant Not to Filter out Background Noise Posted: 24 Sep 2008 03:53 AM CDT As oil reaches recording break highs, more and more people are turning to bikes to get them around and of course nobody wants to leave behind creature comforts like music while driving. Problem is most of today’s headphones are designed to filter out background noise. That’s not very safe for a bicyclists since hearing what’s coming is important. The Semicircle headphones are designed to fit in your ear without blocking background noise. The unit is wireless with a bluetooth module that connects to a standard headphone jack. Riding your bike, saving the Earth, saving money, and enjoying music while doing it shouldn’t be a hazard. Nice concept. Designer: Seohyun Baek        |
| More Chairs? No Problem. Let Me Fold Some Up. Posted: 24 Sep 2008 03:47 AM CDT The Biombo Chair is an idea whose simplicity makes it seem obvious. The wood chair, built over a hinged wood structure, when not in use is a folding screen (Biombo). The surface of the seat can be engraved with a graphic image that transforms it into a decorative object when folded flat. To turn it into a chair, you simply take it off and get all origami. This would have been perfect in that loft I briefly lived in years ago. The open space was great for working but there was hardly any seating when guests visited, which meant my bed became a couch. Designer: Daniel Milchtein Peltsverger        |
| Posted: 24 Sep 2008 03:45 AM CDT We don’t think of urinals as objects of beauty. Even the most beautiful designs from top designers all succumb to this fact - you piss on it. Designer Sun Young Jung thinks she can change how we think of urinals. Her urinal has a flower in it, not a real one but you do piss on it. The flower is supposed to invoke beauty, move you like poetry, and make draining the snake a more enjoyable experience. Designer: Sun-Young Jung        |
| Ticker Tape Only Feeds Good News Posted: 24 Sep 2008 02:33 AM CDT Ticker Tape is an internet radio for people who suffer from Euphobia, "a persistent, abnormal and unwanted fear of hearing good news". Using RSS feeds, Ticker Tape scans for light-hearted news stories from around the world broadcasting them to the listener who can manage the content via the Ticker Tape website. Pulling the cord allows the listener to choose the duration of the broadcast. The origin of the news stories can be selected by turning the dial - old school style with a web 2.0 twist. The original intent of the project was to help cure a phobia, it can also be used to create more insightful solutions for interactive technology. Changing one's mindset as a designer and moving away from market-driven designs and thinking about solutions from a completely different perspective, can encourage new interactions and designs to emerge. This project explores new interfaces for the future of digital radio and is part of wider ongoing research. Designer: Will Carey        |
| Vostok, Not Just For Outerspace Posted: 23 Sep 2008 05:48 PM CDT Designer Yar Rassadin created these bathroom designs, in a way to pay tribute to the older USSR spaceship Vostok. However, the Vostok bathroom designs are smooth, geometric designs that are modern and stylish. With almost a retro-futuristic feel, Vostok bathroom accessories will surely touch your emotions and awaken your senses. Vostok won 1st place at this years Russian ROCA design competition. Designer: Yar Rassadin        |
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