Pet lovers see their dogs as special, one-in-a-million creatures. Soon you will also be able to get a unique robot in a million. Dog-E from tech toy maker WowWee ($80), launched at CES, is a robot dog connected to an app unique to each of its owners, thanks to its more than a million possible combinations of lights, sounds and personality traits.
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Out of the box, the robot dog features different colors of collars and tails. Then, when first turned on, Dog-E’s body lights up in a surprise color, though kids can change it later via the connected app if they don’t like what they get.
The pup then comes to life in a ‘kicking’ process as children pet and play with it, gradually revealing its specific personality. Some dogs will always be hungry, while others might be more playful or shy, says WowWee. You can train the dog to do tricks, give kisses and “talk” by displaying text and emoticons when he wags his tail.
I had fun playing with one of the prototypes on display at a press event this week. When I scratched the top of Dog-E’s head, he rubbed my hand. The robot dog was small and light with a soft touch. It didn’t have the heavy, clunky feel of similar toys I’ve tried in the past.
I’m curious what my kids would think of Dog-E. They begged for a dog for years, but living in a small apartment in New York prevented that from happening. Would they settle for a Dog-E? Probably not, but I can still imagine my 8 year old playing with it, at least for a while.
Dog-E is available for pre order now through the company’s website. It will be available online and at retailers in time for the 2023 holiday season – the website currently suggests a September 2023 shipping month.
