Tekno The Robotic Puppy Television Commercial 2000

  • 7 years ago
Tekno The Robotic Puppy TV Television Commercial from 2000.

Tekno the Robotic Puppy (also known as Teksta the Robotic Puppy) was a popular electronic robotic toy which originally launched in the fall of 2000. Tekno sold over 7 million units in its first season and went on to sell over 40 million units in its original 4 years of production. The worldwide popularity for Tekno led to prominent awards and widespread media coverage which included newspaper articles, television and film appearances, and a stand-alone feature on the cover of Time magazine.[1]

With over 160 emotions and functions, Tekno the Robotic Puppy captured the imagination of parents and kids by offering a special technological peek into the future. Children could enjoy the companionship and playfulness of a real pet without the daily care giving burdens.[2] Tekno's basic functions included walking, barking, eating, and sleeping, and special motor sensors enabled emotional and lifelike intelligence. It could be "taught" to respond to voice commands and to perform real dog tricks such as fetching, whining, and playing tricks with the included bone and ball accessories.[3] Smart light sensor technology also gave Tekno the ability to understand visual commands and to react to environmental stimuli, even knowing when to go to sleep on its own.[4] Since 2013, the new Teksta was released by Character Toys in the UK, and Tekno is controlled by a smart device like iPad, Android phone, and Windows Phone 8. As of 2016, a 5th Generation version will be slated to be released.

Developed by Bob Del Principe, Brian Dubinksy, and designer Gary Leynes, Tekno launched in the fall of 2000 retailing for $39.99. Marketing efforts included a national television commercial campaign, traditional public relations, live talk show appearances, and the creation of the Institute of Robotic Technology to promote the world of robotics.[5]

Entering a crowded toy pet market which included Rocket the Wonder Dog from Fisher Price, and Poo-Chi, from Tiger Electronics and SEGA, Tekno was named the best puppy for its value by Jim Silver of the popular magazine Toy Wishes.[6]
New Pets and Robots
Additional pets and robots were launched. Other than Tekno the Newborn Puppy, the smaller version of Tekno. Here are the following robots ToyQuest launched:

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