The interactive toy fashion continues to flourish. After Furby’s planetary success – with worldwide sales of 35 million since 1998 -, here comes Meow-Chi, the cyber-kitten.
The interactive toy fashion continues to flourish. After Furby’s planetary success – with worldwide sales of 35 million since 1998 -, here comes Meow-Chi, the cyber-kitten.Funnily enough, the shiny kitten was given life by a tiger: Tiger Electronics, the world leader in “pet toys”. Meow-Chi is equipped with 7 sensors that enable it to react to a series of different situations: a light sensor above the eyes, an infra-red sensor, two sound sensors, two touch sensors near the ears and one magnetic sensor near the whiskers. Thanks to all those sensors, which act like sensorial antennas, Meow-Chi knows when you’re next to it, whether you are talking to it or stroking it.When you adopt Meow-Chi, it is still only a kitten. You must show it that you care, give it attention, for it to develop and manifest its own personality. You can also choose between male and female – indeed, its expressions and meowing may vary from one to the other. Meow-Chi can sing, dance or move its little ears to express its “feelings”. But it doesn’t like to be alone, and it has a little mouse friend, the sight of which makes it happy: its eyes light up with joy. Playing with it is part of Meow-Chi’s learning and growing process.
Meow-Chi is not the last born in the Tiger's family. After Furby and its babies, the toy manufacturer had launched last Christmas a little interactive dog, Poo-Chi. Unlike the dog-object-work-of-art created by Sony, Pooh-Chi is a real toy destined for children from 5 years of age.Just like its cat friend, Pooh-Chi reacts to its environment thanks to its sensors: it barks, growls, snores and sleeps... When it is with Meow-Chi, they answer one another like old friends. Just put them in front of the other and they will start talking, and if they are in a good mood, they may even start singing a little song. Very friendly! One small reproach however, Meow-Chi lacks of the sensuality of the cats, and one lacks Furby's fur. But let us bet that the young ones - and the older ones too - will enjoy it very much.
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