CNET News.com Reporter Daniel Terdiman wakes up Pleo for the first time.
(Credit: Elinor Mills/CNET News.com)Is it possible to love an animatronic dinosaur?
I don't know yet, but I'm likely to find out over the next few days.
That's because I'm road-testing Pleo, the new animatronic dinosaur robot from Ugobe. Though much talked about since it was unveiled at Demo last year, Pleo is only just now being officially released, and I was lucky enough to be among the first to get a review unit.
What I'm dreading is the moment in a week or so when I have to put Pleo back in its box and send it back to Ugobe, its manufacturer. I figure that's when I'll know if it is possible to love such a beast.
So, what is Pleo anyway? Well, in the simplest terms, Pleo is a robot with 1,800 parts, a custom operating system, 14 motors, two microprocessors, more than two dozen sensors, and a personality all its own.
After getting Pleo in the mail on Monday, this morning I was finally able to open the box and begin the "birthing" process. Which means, essentially, waking Pleo up for the first time.
This begs the question, is Pleo a he or a she? Ugobe calls it a he, but when I was playing with Pleo at my desk this afternoon and a small crowd gathered, everyone automatically started using the word "she." It seemed to stick, even if that's not what's in the marketing materials. Sorry, but what can you do?
It's not hard to make Pleo seem happy. All it takes is a little bit of petting or scritching for the animatronic dinosaur to smile and make contented sounds.
(Credit: Elinor Mills/CNET News.com)Waking Pleo up means "placing a hand on (her) back and gently shaking (her). For the first time, Pleo opens (her) eyes to both you and the world, and (she) starts to adjust to (her) environment. The entire 'birthing' stage lasts up to 10 minutes depending on your level of interaction."
My level of interaction? High. I sat at a table and played with Pleo for all of those 10 minutes and more, petting her, scritching her chin, and generally marveling at Pleo's first awakening.
Those first few moments were very slow and tentative, with Pleo moving slowly from side to side, eyes closed, as if she didn't know what was going on.
But quickly, Pleo opened her eyes and began to interact with me rather than just the other way around.
It's hard not to enjoy Pleo when he (or is it she?) is smiling and looking happy.
(Credit: Elinor Mills/CNET News.com)And that's because Pleo has a custom operating system with rather sophisticated artificial intelligence features, and she's designed to respond and react with interest and empathy to a gentle approach.
The idea, at the beginning, is to play lightly with Pleo, getting her used to you. After the birthing process, you move onto the exploration phase.
This is described thusly: "For up to the next 45 minutes, Pleo will begin to show basic behaviors and needs. (She) may ask to be fed, start to walk, explore (her) environment and exhibit a wide range of emotions."
Sure enough, very quickly, Pleo began to do just that, making a series of purrlike sounds, tilting her head back in search of chin-scritching, looking left to right and generally seeming increasingly interested in the surroundings. It was only when I picked Pleo up sort of haphazardly that she started to scream a bit. I put her down right away.
One of the things that Pleo is supposed to be able to do is detect edges and avoid walking off them. So soon after my Pleo began to walk, she approached the edge of the table I had placed her on, and sure enough, she made a startled sound and backed off.
Pleo is loaded with sensors including those that can keep it from walking off edges.
(Credit: Elinor Mills/CNET News.com)The more we--me and others who were in the room or who came by later to check Pleo out--played with her, the more it seemed to want to play with us.
Until, that is, she fell asleep. With her eyes open, I might add. It was a little strange. But later, I picked Pleo up and kind of tucked her up against my neck and she seemed to relax and very quickly fall into slumber, this time with her eyes closed.
This is a very odd beast. On the one hand, it's impossible to forget that Pleo is a machine, since every time she moves, you can hear the motors whirring. But then you sort of forget that she's not an animal. Several times already, people have come to check Pleo out, a fair bit of skepticism in their demeanor, and a minute later, they were scritching her and cooing at her the way one does with a pet.
And it's at that moment that you recognize Ugobe's marketing plan and the wisdom behind charging $350 for a toy. The company insists Pleo is not a toy, but let's be honest. Pleo is a toy, albeit an expensive one, and one that is probably not appropriate for little children. For those who are allergic to cats or dogs, or who don't want the hassle of taking care of a real-life pet, but who want more than a Tamagotchi, however, I can see Pleo becoming the stand-in pet around the house.
Pleo likes to 'eat' special plastic leaves, but will also (lightly) chomp down on your finger.
(Credit: Elinor Mills/CNET News.com)And for many others, Pleo will be just one of the coolest toys ever, a smart robot that reacts to you, which bonds with you as you play with it, and which makes you wonder just how lifelike it can be.
Ugobe calls Pleo--and future products it has yet to announce--a "life form." I can see where they're going with that, though I think it might be a stretch.
On the other hand, I've only played with my Pleo for a little while. As I keep on playing with it, and as it repeats the way it kind of nibbled on my finger this morning, I wonder how I'll feel about it. As I sit here writing this, Pleo is standing next to me, wagging its tail, demanding attention. I reach over and pet it and it closes its eyes and sort of smiles and gurgles happily. Can you love an animatronic dinosaur?
AUSTIN, Texas--Every so often, a product comes along that just changes the game. The iPhone. The Segway. The Roomba.
Get ready to add the Pleo to that list.
A row of five prototype Pleos at the Maker Faire in Austin, Texas on October 19, 2007. These Pleos are not final production models, though they are very close.
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET Networks)The animatronic dinosaur Pleo is hotly anticipated to hit the market next year and it's already possible to pre-order one for $349. What makes this toy such a game changer is that it is so amazingly lifelike that it's hard not to treat it like it's real.
I first saw the Pleo at Demo '06. Back then, the toy was expected to be available by the 2006 holidays and to cost $200. So much for that plan. With that in mind, some healthy skepticism is warranted as to whether the toy's maker, Ugobe, can get it out any time soon.
'Make' magazine editor-in-chief and Boing Boing co-editor Mark Frauenfelder pets a Pleo at Maker Faire in Austin. The Pleo has sensors that allow it to walk to the edge of a table and stop before it falls off.
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET Networks)Still, this is one amazing toy. I played with it for a few minutes today during the final afternoon of preparations for Maker Faire in Austin, which begins Saturday and will continue through Sunday. It was totally charming. The Pleo has dozens of sensors, sensitive to light, to touch, and to edges, and so its behavior is somewhat akin to that of a pet.
It's not a pet, of course, but when you play with it, patting its head, or scratching its chin, and the little dinosaur purrs contentedly or tilts its head back in seeming bliss, it's hard not to believe it's alive.
A Pleo reacts with obvious pleasure and happiness when its chin is scratched.
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET Networks)So, I have little doubt that when it finally is for sale, it is going to set the toy industry on its ear. Consumers will be blown away by what it can do and how it behaves. Ugobe is going to take a further step toward making it fantastic by letting owners download new sounds onto it and to modify it with custom behaviors. (Thus, it really is a suitable product to exhibit at Maker Faire.)
Ugobe brought a bunch of Pleos, some of which are wearing green tags around their necks to designate them as "A-list performers," according to Ugobe employee Prema Polit. That means, she explained, that the green-taggers can be counted on to do what they're supposed to, move as expected, react as designed, and so forth. By the time they're released, of course, the company will ensure that all Pleos are A-listers.
Whether the amazement it generates will translate into huge sales is another question. The $349 price is pretty steep, even for such a lifelike creature, because, despite its realism, it can't do that many things.
I love it, though, and I want one. I'm not sure what I would do with it, particularly because I'm pretty sure my cat would have harsh words for it.
But here's hoping Pleo is available soon. I'm really looking forward to seeing how people react; I expect a collective dropped jaw.
Get your own full-size printer-friendly bracket and start your own high-stakes office pool.
Voting is now closed for this round. See the results of these battles here and vote on the Elite Eight matchups here.
Get it now! Your full-size, printer-friendly tournament bracket.
And then there were 16.
These robots don't want to fight. That's why you have to pick the winners. After two weeks of "battling" it out, our field of nonviolent robots is down to 16 competitors.
Voting is open from now until Sept. 17. Check back then for the results of this round and vote on the Elite Eight matchups.
- See last week's final scores
- See last week's matchups
- See the tournament rules and first week's matchups
===================
PROTOTYPE DIVISION
===================
(Credit:
Honda.com)
1. Asimo
Fittingly pronounced "awesome-o," Honda's amazing humanoid bipedal robot, is this year's tourney favorite, and with good reason. It's already been inducted into the Robot Hall of Fame. It climbs stairs. It looks like an astronaut. And most unfortunately for its opponents, it has some pretty sweet dance moves, as this video can attest.
(Credit:
Robot Watch)
3. OmniZero.4
The demonstration-winning robot from this year's Robo-One 11 event in Japan is built for entertainment. Known to his friends as "Li'l Clompy," OmniZero.4 climbs ladders, skips rope, breaks the hell out of eggs, and politely bows. Sure, he can be physically intimidating if you're an egg or 1 foot tall, but everyone else can just kick him into a swimming pool if he gets confrontational.
(1) Asimo vs. (3) OmniZero.4: Who wins?
Asimo
OmniZero.4
====
(Credit:
John W. Cornwell)
4. Beer-Launching Fridge
Another robot that could potentially do some damage if you're not paying attention, the Beer-Launching Fridge holds up to 10 cans of delicious beer and flings them to you so you don't even have to get up. Unfortunately, at this point, you'll have to know designer John W. Cornwell personally, because he has the only one. But he may build more. One can hope, or at least buddy up to him on Facebook.
(Credit:
BeatBots.org)
2. Keepon
The robotic star of two Spoon videos (one unofficial one, and one official one) has the most soul of any Nerf robot we've ever seen. In addition to bass (which it picks up through its nose mic), the secret to Hideki Kozima and Marek Michalowski's head-bobbing robot is in its base. Base! How low can you go?
(4) Beer-Launching Fridge vs. (2) Keepon: Who wins?
Beer-Launching Fridge
Keepon
=========================
CONSUMER DIVISION
=========================
(Credit:
Michael Kanellos/CNET Networks)
1. Pleo
When most people consider the concept of a robotic dinosaur, thoughts of mechanical T. rexes and velociraptors duking it out on a rickety bridge over a flaming pool of tar come to mind. Ugobe's Pleo is about as far away from that image as possible. He's cute, cuddly, "learns" things as time passes, develops moods and personality traits, makes grunting noises, and is slated to be in stores in October for around $250. However, the robot version of Carl Everett doesn't think Pleo exists.
(Credit:
Caleb Goessling)
6. Nintendo R.O.B.
Any votes for R.O.B. will come straight from nostalgia, because Nintendo's game-playing robot sure didn't have many gaming skills. With only two compatible NES games (the forgettable "Gyromite" and "Stack-Up") and molasses-slow movements, R.O.B. was rarely part of any old-school gaming session beyond his first foray out of the box. These days, R.O.B. has hung up his Gyro Blocks and now has his own MySpace page.
(1) Pleo vs. (6) Nintendo R.O.B.: Who wins?
Pleo
Nintendo R.O.B.
====
(Credit:
WowWee)
4. Robosapien
Another selection from the ultracompetitive WowWee Conference, Robosapien has a bunch of tricks. Namely, belching, farting, caveman noises, dancing, and more farting. That's a nice little repertoire for $50, and Robosapien's hacker-friendly innards have paved the way for some sweet mods. This is another dark horse with an enthusiastic fan base that may propel it to the late rounds. It is also good at farting.
(Credit:
Mobile-review.com)
2. Sony QRIO
Hey, where's Aibo? Sorry. Sony's robo-dog was pummeled in the Sony conference finals by this lesser-known humanoid robot. Face and voice recognition, communication skills, and memory were some of QRIO's noticeable traits, but its smooth, fluid dancing moves (showcased in this Beck video) were QRIO's main drawing point. Development on the robot was halted before it hit store shelves, but you can't blame that on QRIO.
(4) Robosapien vs. (2) Sony QRIO: Who wins?
Robosapien
Sony QRIO
=================
MOVIE DIVISION
=================
1. Marvin
the Paranoid Android (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy)
The only robot in this year's competition that is (allegedly) the subject of a Radiohead song, Marvin's vast intellect is both his strength and his vulnerability. He may be too mired in depression and bored with this trivial tournament to even put up a good nonfight, or he may completely destroy the competition by employing his 5.5 million IQ. Either way, the championship is there for big number 42's taking if he wants it badly enough.
(Credit:
StarWars.com)
6. C-3PO
Decisions, decisions...Would you cast a vote for C-3PO just because you love Star Wars? Or does this droid's incessant nattering and worrying grate on your last nerve? Threepio's fate could go either way in this competition, which makes him one of the more intriguing tourney competitors. Two things I will say for C-3PO: No one would understand most of the stuff R2-D2 said without his reactionary dialogue, and his Halloween costume is best accompanied by creative
use of jazz hands.
(1) Marvin the Paranoid Android vs. (6) C-3PO: Who wins?
Marvin the Paranoid Android
C-3PO
====
(Credit:
Johnny-Five.com)
5. Johnny Five (Short Circuit
2)
He may be "alive," but he's still a robot. Johnny Five's distinction in the tournament, other than his unparalleled knowledge of pop culture and classic literature, is that he's the only robot that has been arrested. For the purposes of nonviolence, it's important to note that this is the Short Circuit 2 version of Johnny Five, the one with the toolbox instead of an on-board laser.
(Credit:
Amazon.com)
2. D.A.R.Y.L.
Whereas most movie robots can just crush anyone mercilessly with a combination of brute force and laser beams, D.A.R.Y.L. takes a more down-to-earth approach. He will obliterate your high score in Pole Position, make any Little League pitcher's ERA balloon to double digits, and ruin the grading curve on tests.
(5) Johnny Five vs. (2) D.A.R.Y.L.: Who wins?
Johnny Five
D.A.R.Y.L.
=================
TV DIVISION
=================
(Credit:
Toyshow.org)
1. Twiki (Buck Rogers in the
25th Century)
Despite the bidibidi-bad haircut and the inconsistent silver-or-gold color scheme, Twiki is a player to be reckoned
with. The reason for such a high seed? Twiki's actually a double threat, thanks to the fact that he wears another robot--Dr. Theopolis--on his chest like Flavor Flav's clock. Yeaaaaah bidibidi-boyeeeeeeee.
(Credit:
StarTrek.com)
6. Data
(Star Trek)
Commander Data may have lacked emotions for most of his run, but he definitely can win people's hearts. His childlike innocence combined with the most powerful positonic net-powered brain ever gives him an idiot savantish lovability. Combatants should keep in mind what Tasha Yar found out: Commander Data is fully functional. (Commander Data scouting report written by resident Trekkie Tom Merritt.)
(1) Twiki vs. (6) Data: Who wins?
Twiki
Data
====
5. K-9 (Dr.
Who)
Yes, K-9 has a laser in his nose, but he ain't gonna use it unless the good doctor tells him to. His top weapons are intelligence and mobile database serving. What K-9 lacks in visual sophistication, the robot dog more than makes up for in sheer loyalty. All that persistence has paid off for K-9, too: He's getting his own spinoff
series in 2008.
2. Bender
(Futurama)
With Bender, the TV Division has one of the most potentially violent nonviolent robots in the competition. Bender's personality is a volatile cocktail that could blow a fuse at any second: He drinks with the best of them, has a smart mouth, and enjoys bending things. The Futurama star may also have the biggest fan base in the tourney.
(5) K-9 vs. (2) Bender: Who wins?
K-9
Bender
All scores represent percentage of votes, but let's pretend it's like a basketball game.
============
Movie Division
============
(1) Marvin the Paranoid Android 79
(8) Dot Matrix 21
(3) Robby the Robot 36
(6) C-3PO 64
(4) Teddy 25
(5) Johnny Five 75
(2) D.A.R.Y.L. 58
(7) Woody Allen 42
============
TV Division
============
(1) Twiki 60
(8) Vicki 40
(3) KITT 34
(6) Data 66
(4) Muffit II 63
(5) K-9 37
(2) Bender 73
(7) Crow T. Robot 15
(7) Tom Servo 12
Will Greenwald in Optimus Prime helmet was a late tournament scratch (sore hammy).
Voting is now closed for this round. See the results of the battles here and vote on eight more first round battles here.
Complex as they are, most robots solve dilemmas in a basic way: they fight each other. Then Michael Bay films it, charges $10 a ticket, and everyone enjoys the marvelous robots-kicking-the-crap-out-of-each-other show.
But there are plenty of robots that have no appetite for destruction. What about these robots, ones that have to rely on personality, artifical wits, social skills, and dance moves in order to survive?
Even if they banded together, these robots couldn't fight their way out of a Buddhist monastery. That's why you have to settle these one-on-one robot battles with your online votes. It's the only way to figure out which one's the best.
In NCAA tournament style, each robot in the bracket below has been given a seed number. The winner of each battle will advance to the next round, where it'll take on the winner of another battle.
Get your picks in! Each first-round bracket will be open to your votes for one week, from today until Sunday, September 2. This week features battles between prototype robots and consumer robots. Next Monday, September 3, we'll post the second half of the bracket: robots from the movies and TV.
Note: This tournament field is not meant to be all-inclusive. Some great non-violent robots, such as Roomba, Scooba, and R2-D2 (he has a built-in taser) had to be left out of the mix by the selection committee. If you're peeved at the omission of a particular bot, let us know in the TalkBack section.
===================
PROTOTYPE DIVISION
===================
(Credit:
Honda.com)
1. Asimo
Fittingly pronounced "awesome-o," Honda's amazing humanoid bipedal robot is this year's tourney favorite, and with good reason. It's already been inducted into the Robot Hall of Fame. It climbs stairs. It looks like an astronaut. And most unfortunately for its first-round opponent, it has some pretty sweet dance moves, as this video can attest.
(Credit:
Nomura Unison Group)
8. Partner Ballroom Dance Robot (PBDR)
Not to be confused with PBR, which is the fourth-seeded Beer-Launching Fridge's secret weapon, the PBDR is a hot-pink mechanical lady with mouse ears, an ample bosom, and ballroom-dancing skills. Tough first-round draw for the PBDR. It's probably the hottest robot in the competition, but looks only get you so far when you're battling Asimo. Plus, it's arguably the sixth-best dancer in the competition, behind Asimo, Keepon, Sony's QRIO, Robosapien, and Woody Allen.
(1) Asimo vs. (8) PBDR: Who wins?
Asimo
PBDR
====
(Credit:
Robot Watch)
3. OmniZero.4
The demonstration-winning robot from this year's Robo-One 11 event in Japan is built for entertainment. Known to his friends as "Li'l Clompy," OmniZero.4 climbs ladders, skips rope, breaks the hell out of eggs, and politely bows. Sure, he can be physically intimidating if you're an egg or one foot tall, but everyone else can just kick him into a swimming pool if he gets confrontational.
(Credit:
Robot Watch)
6. Motoman
Motoman is big, handy, plays the drums, and was built to do mundane tasks like sorting clothing and reading bar codes. Sure, Motoman is huge and can carry big sticks, but its limp-wristed drum-playing style doesn't instill much fear in either humans or its fellow robots. On the other hand, it does sort mail, so maybe all that postal work will fuel Motoman's robotic aggression.
(3) OmniZero.4 vs. (6) Motoman: Who wins?
OmniZero.4
Motoman
====
(Credit:
John W. Cornwell)
4. Beer-Launching Fridge
Another robot that could potentially do some damage if you're not paying attention, the Beer-Launching Fridge holds up to 10 cans of delicious beer and flings them to you so you don't even have to get up. Unfortunately, at this point, you'll have to know designer John W. Cornwell personally, because he has the only one. But he may build more. One can hope, or at least buddy up to him on Facebook.
(Credit:
ShowbizPizza.com)
5. The Rock-Afire Explosion
The perfect compliment to any of the dancing bots in this competition, this one-time Chuck E. Cheese/Showbiz Pizza animatronic band has been reprogrammed to play the hits of today. We're talking songs like Fergie's "London Bridge" and Bubba Sparxxx's "Ms. New Booty." The band's repertoire is available on video here, courtesy of its programmer, christhrash. Alas, it's hard to hear the songs over all the moving robot parts...hence the surprisingly low 5 seed.
(4) Beer-Launching Fridge vs. (5) The Rock-Afire Explosion: Who wins?
Beer-Launching Fridge
The Rock-Afire Explosion
====
(Credit:
BeatBots.org)
2. Keepon
The robotic star of two Spoon videos (one unofficial one, and one official one) has the most soul of any Nerf robot we've ever seen. In addition to bass (which it picks up through its nose mic), the secret to Hideki Kozima and Marek Michalowski's head-bobbing robot is in its base. Base! How low can you go?
(Credit:
BornRich)
7. Tiro
For all you non-committals out there, this robot is your worst nightmare. For just $215,000, this humanoid will marry the crap out of you. No, it won't actually marry you. The honeymoon night would be horrendous. What it will do, however, is preside over your wedding and pronounce you and your (human) partner man and wife. Then it will make out with the PBDR robot at the reception.
(2) Keepon vs. (7) Tiro: Who wins?
Keepon
Tiro
=========================
CONSUMER DIVISION
=========================
(Credit:
Michael Kanellos/CNET Networks)
1. Pleo
When most people consider the concept of a robotic dinosaur, thoughts of mechanical T-Rexes and velociraptors duking it out on a rickety bridge over a flaming pool of tar come to mind. Ugobe's Pleo is about as far away from that image as possible. He's cute, cuddly, "learns" things as time passes, develops moods and personality traits, makes grunting noises, and is slated to be in stores in October for around $250. However, the robot version of Carl Everett doesn't think Pleo exists.
(Credit:
DreamKitty.com)
8. Hello Kitty Robot
Per Crave regulations, we need a Hello Kitty or a pirate in the mix, so here's this. More than just a $6,300, voice/face recognizing pink cat robot, the chatting Hello Kitty Robot is actually described as "a perfect robot for whoever does not have a lot time to stay with child." Which raises the question: is it better to be a lonely toddler, or one that's raised and nurtured by a Hello Kitty robot?
(1) Pleo vs. (8) Hello Kitty Robot: Who wins?
Pleo
Hello Kitty Robot
====
(Credit:
Rainy Day Magazine)
3. WowWee Alive Chimpanzee
I'd argue that there's no better use for robotics than a lifelike chimp head that hoots and hollers and follows you around with its eyes. WowWee's Alive Chimpanzee does everything a real chimp head does without that pesky chimp smell. It also benefits from some tough in-conference competition; battling it out with WowWee's Alive Elvis head and the fourth-seeded Robosapien on a regular basis means this chimp is used to bringing its A game. This is the dark-horse pick to win it all.
(Credit:
Caleb Goessling)
6. Nintendo R.O.B.
Any votes for R.O.B. will come straight from nostalgia, because Nintendo's game-playing robot sure didn't have many gaming skills. With only two compatible NES games (the forgettable "Gyromite" and "Stack-Up") and molasses-slow movements, R.O.B. was rarely part of any old-school gaming session beyond his first foray out of the box. These days, R.O.B. has hung up his Gyro Blocks and now has his own MySpace page.
(3) WowWee Alive Chimpanzee vs. (6) Nintendo R.O.B.: Who wins?
WowWee Alive Chimpanzee
Nintendo R.O.B.
====
(Credit:
WowWee)
4. Robosapien
Another selection from the ultracompetitive WowWee Conference, Robosapien has a bunch of tricks. Namely, belching, farting, caveman noises, dancing, and more farting. That's a nice little repertoire for $50, and Robosapien's hacker-friendly innards have paved the way for some sweet mods. This is another dark horse with an enthusiastic fan base that may propel it to the late rounds. It is also good at farting.
(Credit:
MacTechLab.jp)
5. Necoro
Necoro instills fear in any opponent. It's not because this lap-cat robot is particularly intimidating; it's because it's creepy as hell. Its jerky head motions and facial tics carefully mimic those of a meth-addicted Mr. Mittens, and it'd be hard to sleep knowing one of these was in your house. Still, in terms of sheer entertainment value, the awkward robo-cat is sure to pick up a ton of vote from all the YouTube-watching Necorophiles out there.
(4) Robosapien vs. (5) Necoro: Who wins?
Robosapien
Necoro
====
(Credit:
Mobile-review.com)
2. Sony QRIO
Hey, where's Aibo? Sorry. Sony's robo-dog was pummeled in the Sony conference finals by this lesser-known humanoid robot. Face and voice recognition, communication skills, and memory were some of QRIO's noticeable traits, but its smooth, fluid dancing moves (showcased in this Beck video) were QRIO's main drawing point. Development on the robot was halted before it hit store shelves, but you can't blame that on QRIO.
(Credit:
World of 2-XL)
7. 2-XL
Who would have thought that "The Smartest Toy Robot in the World" would be fueled by 8-track tapes? Mego's infotainment robot was released in 1978, and Tiger revamped the robot--adding a cassette deck instead of an 8-track player--in 1992. 2-XL asked trivia questions, told bad jokes, and is responsible for my life-long fear of electrocution, due to the fact that I got shocked when I tried to plug him in at my cousin's house.
(2) Sony QRIO vs. (7) 2-XL: Who wins?
Sony QRIO
2-XL
Note: Check back on Monday, September 3, for the results of these first-round battles as well as eight new first-round matchups (TV and movie robots)!
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