Gupi - Intelligent Robot Guinea Pig

...charge you have to stroke Gupi until he makes a happy giggling noise, then put it down and it will start to wonder about the room. As Gupi gets close to an object/wall you have to stroke its back before it crashes. This helps train it not to crash into things.

It will also respond if you call it and apparently if you make loud noises or sudden movements it will run away but my Gupi hasn't done that yet. I think it may be concussed ...
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If you put Gupi in the dark it gets scared until you comfort it then he will wonder around quite happily again making its funny little noises. Then you push a button on its head to make it go to sleep and it snores! When it needs charging Gupi stops and shakes its head while making yet more odd noises.

Gupi comes with a small plastic carrot which you can use to guide him around with. You can also put it in his mouth when you ... more

I was given this for Christmas by my parents as a joke because I am not allowed pets in my flat.

The initial charge is quite long at 12 hours so if you are giving it to a child I would recommend charging it first as even as an adult it is very frustrating to have a new toy and not be able to play with it until the next day! I think future charges are supposed to take around 90 minutes but I've never timed it.

It took me a while to figure out what I was supposed to do with it and to start with it can get a bit boring following it round making sure it doesn't crash. Plus it makes some very strange noises (not like any guinea pig I have ever heard). When you first take it off charge you have to stroke Gupi until he makes a happy giggling noise, then put it down and it will start to wonder about the room. As Gupi gets close to an object/wall you have to stroke its back before it crashes. This helps train it not to crash into things.

It will also respond if you call it and apparently if you make loud noises or sudden movements it will run away but my Gupi hasn't done that yet. I think it may be concussed from all the walls it has walked into while I haven't been paying attention.

If you put Gupi in the dark it gets scared until you comfort it then he will wonder around quite happily again making its funny little noises. Then you push a button on its head to make it go to sleep and it snores! When it needs charging Gupi stops and shakes its head while making yet more odd noises.

Gupi comes with a small plastic carrot which you can use to guide him around with. You can also put it in his mouth when you are trying to comfort him. The manual says that when two Gupis meet they will giggle and play, a bit like a Furbi, so I may have to buy another one so I can find out!

I think Gupi is quite cute and even as an adult I find it quite entertaining to play with especially as it can be left to just walk around on its own, so you can just play with it when you want. Although don't ignore it for too long as Gupi can become lonely. When this happens he will stop walking or go and hide in a dark place and make sad noises until you go and comfort him.

The manufacturers say it has 30 different noises although I have only counted about 10. However if I am honest it will probably spend most of the time in its box once the novelty has worn off as after you have trained it not to crash I can't see a huge deal you can do with it! Plus it scares my dog who just stands and barks at it for the first 20 minutes, then forgets about it as he is a Spaniel and not the sharpest tool in the box!

Not too sure about the claims that it can be a good indicator if you child would care for a real pet properly as you can never simulate the love you feel for an animal, and after all, that's what makes you care for it properly.

I can't really comment on how durable/strong Gupi is as I don't have children who i'm sure will be rougher with it then I am! It feels fairly solid and the fur it is covered with is soft. Also there are no small parts for little people to swallow. On the box it gives the age range as 4+

Size:
Gupi - 24 x 12 x 10cm
Carrot - 7.5 x 3cm (diameter)

Still, Gupi is cute and a bit of a giggle for both kids and adults as long as you don't expect too much from it. The more you play with it the more 'affectionate' it will become. Plus at about £30-40 its not too expensive.

The box contains Gupi , Carrot 'food' , A UK adaptor for recharging , and an Instruction booklet. 

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