Ultra-cute: Meet Bandai's new Baby Animal robots

Serkan Toto

Dr. Serkan Toto is an independent consultant and advisor focusing on Japan’s web, mobile and social gaming industries. Based in Tokyo, he works together with financial institutions and startups worldwide. Serkan has been the Japan contributor for TechCrunch.com since 2008. He is sept-lingual, holds an MBA and is a PhD in economics. → Learn More

Thursday, November 6th, 2008

They are little pandas, ice bears, tigers and lions and they all are Japan’s newest toy robots. CCP, the company behind the so-called Baby Animals [JP], is part of the Bandai Namco Group, meaning an export of the robots outside Nippon is possible in the future (Bandai America brought the Mugen Pop Pop to the US, after all).

Each of the robots is equipped with four sensors and two buttons. The animal will start moving its mouth and making “realistic” sounds every time you touch its head or neck. It will react the same way if you lull it. Ignore the robot for about 5 minutes and it will start sleeping (it then only wakes up by pulling the right ear).

Powered by 4 AA batteries, the baby animals’ sitting height is 35cm. Bandai plans to start selling the robots in Japan this week for $80 each.

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