HANDS ON REVIEW: TEKNO: THE ROBOTIC PUPPY 6.5 The good: the look is cute, the animated ears; eyes and tail add personality; he comes when he is called The bad: limited depth and movement; not a lot of genuine personality The bottom line: Tekno is more of a child’s toy than a robot. This can be good for kids who are more interested in animated toys and not as interested in robots Tekno is a simple cute electronic toy. The combination of a wagging tail, moving ears, and colorful expressive eyes give Tekno a lot of personaity and makes him very approachable. But he is the most limited robot we tested in terms of range of movement.  VIDEO FILES: AVI FILES ( "SAVE AS" TO YOUR COMPUTER, THEN PLAY )

First Impression

Calling itself a robotic puppy, it is clear that the people who are making Tekno are marketing it to kids. The packaging is similar to that of other animated toys. It is attractive but lacks the “wow” factor found in some other robot products. It is a toy that would appeal to young children more than older ones.


Unpacking

Compared to other robots we have reviewed, Tekno is a breeze to unpack. A few clips of the scissors and some batteries and you are ready to go.

• Tekno Puppy reacts to sound, sight and touch, and obeys several radio-controlled commands.
• He walks forward, backwards, right and left, moves his head, and wags his tail when he's happy. New and improved walking animation gives him smooth, lifelike movement, and magnetic sensors allow him to play with his ball and chomp on his bone.
• Requires 4 "AA" batteries and 3 "AG13" batteries, included.
• Measures 13"L x 12.25"H. Colors and markings will vary.

Tekno seems to be a toy pretending to do some of the things that dogs do, rather than a robot. Similarly priced Robopet actually seems to think about what it will next and is unpredictable in it’s behavior. This really brings Robopet too life and gives it personality. Also, Robopet seems to live up to the promises made by the packaging. Tekno has a wagging tail and cute eyes and ears. He makes cute puppy noises and comes when he is called. In these respects he is a fairly entertaining toy for a child. He is also fairly solidly constructed and does not seem to have as many moving parts as other similar robots.

When compared to other robots that we have reviewed, Tekno seems clumsy and more predictable. He doesn’t seem as “alive” as other more complex robots. He is also a little bigger than other robots and not as intricately made. This is actually a good thing if you consider the benefits this allows in solid construction. But, Techno almost seems too big. He would be much better if he were half the size. He might actually appeal to older children and adults as a novelty item if he were much smaller, say 20% of the current size.

Tekno might be more appealing to young children if he were more fun to touch. Other animated toys solve this problem by adding fur or having some soft areas. Tekno is designed to be used from a distance and does not offer any real tactile appeal. This would be fine if he were designed for older children, but younger children like to touch things and carry them. In many respects, the interactive experience that you get when playing with Tekno is like the one that you get when you buy a remote controlled car. It’s entertaining as long as you consider Tekno to be a toy and you don’t think of him as a robot.


Value

At the time of my writing this review, Tekno is currently $60. This may be a little too much for this toy. It may be more reasonable to buy Tekno for $40 or even $30.

Target Audience

Tekno will likely entertain smaller children for a limited time.


Bottom Line

Tekno is cute animated toy. He doesn’t move as fluidly, his personality is less convincing and he’s less interactive than other robots.  Also, unlike other animated toys built for young children, he is not furry or fuzzy which means that he is doesn’t have a lot of tactile appeal for kids. But he is cute.