Ugobe

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Ugobe is a toy robotics company co-founded by Caleb Chung, creator of the Furby. The company is headquartered in Emeryville, California. Their first product is the Pleo, a robotic dinosaur.

UGOBE develops and markets robotic technology that simulates lifelike creatures complete with organic movement and dynamic behaviors. UGOBE has named the new line of robotic creatures 'Life Forms'.

A combination of sensory, articulation, and neuronetics is the triumvirate that creates the foundation for UGOBE'S new field of Life Forms. By understanding biological and neurological systems, and re-interpreting these elements in both hardware and software,UGOBE has developed a set of unique core technologies that will lead its product roadmap.

UGOBE'S multidisciplinary team of robotics experts, animators, technologists, scientists, biologists and programmers is led by polymath toy inventor and Furby co-creator, Caleb Chung, a well-known creator in the U.S. toy industry.

-Management Team

Bob Christopher / CEO, Chairman & Co-Founder Caleb Chung / Inventor & Co-Founder John Sosoka / CTO Diana Stern / Director of Marketing & Operations Liz Gasper / CFO Daniel Lau / VP Product Engineering

-Pleo

UGOBE’s unique and patented robotic motion platform enables Pleo to move in a relatively lifelike way, while exhibiting autonomous behavior. Pleo is equipped with around 40 sensors, including infrared and stereophonic sound, which leaves it free to interact with his owner and environment. Through UGOBE’s “Life Form Operating System,” Pleo is able to use simultaneous sensory inputs along with a behavioral platform to act independently. Pleo can convey moods, dynamically responds to his surroundings, and develops new behavior over time.

Pleo features include – 14 servo joints (torso, head, tail, neck, legs) with force feedback – 35-touch, sound, light and tilt sensors including nine touch sensors (mouth, chest, head, shoulders, back, feet) and 8 feet and toe sensors – Fluid quadruped motion – Ability to avoid obstacles and not walk off edges – Sound output, stereo sound sensors and music beat detection – Autonomous interaction with owner and environment including coughing, blinking eyes, chomping, twitching, sighing, sneezing, sniffing, growling stomach, tail drift, and yawning – Distinct moods including anger, boredom, playfulness, hunting, cautious, cuddling, disgust, disorientation, distress, fear, curiosity, joy, sorrow, surprise, fatigue, hunger, and a desire for social interaction – Upgradeable, Life Form OS and Personality System – SD card memory expansion – Ability to communicate with other UGOBE Life Forms – Rechargeable battery & nose Cam

[edit] Recent Controversy over Pleo

Ugobe claims that the Pleo responds to human interaction and has released two product demonstration videos. Close inspection of these videos has revealed that the motion of the toy is identical during both demonstrations, despite slightly differing stimuli.

[edit] Official Statement in Response to "Recent Controversy over Pleo"

The two videos that were featured on YouTube were commenting on demonstration videos made purely for the DEMO 2006 Conference in February. DEMO is a conference at which presenters have exactly six minutes to demonstrate their new products. The demonstration video is meant to give people a taste – in condensed form – of Pleo's range of behaviors and movements. The first video featured on YouTube – the one on the right – was aired at the conference. The other video – the one on the left – is simply a backup video. Ugobe says, "In response, and on behalf of UGOBE, I want to let you know that both of the videos in the YouTube post were made for DEMO 2006." The actual Pleo product that will come to market will, indeed, be able to autonomously interact with his environment and evolve over time (using true AI).

Ugobe has since then showed off Pleo to PC Magazine [1] and SciFi Tech Blog [2], both of which feature of Pleo autonomously interacting with people.