Digital Besties: A Look Back at Robotic Pets

As long as there have been robots, there have been attempts to create robot pets. A dog you don't need to feed, walk, or pick up after? Sign us up!

Electronic or virtual pets have been on the Christmas wishlists of children around the world for decades. This year is no different, with the likes of Bitzees, Furbies, and Pets Alive in high demand for this next generation of kids.

Just as pop stars do cover versions of songs from when their parents were young, or directors release remakes of vintage horror films, toys often follow a similar cycle. We love to see a modern take on something familiar, which pushes nostalgia buttons for the parents while still being fresh and exciting for their kids. From some of the earliest iterations to the craze of the 1990s, the enduring appeal of robot pets has been documented by the BBC.

Arguably the most famous electronic pet is the Tamagotchi. First released in Japan in 1996, it quickly became one of the most hyped toys of the late 1990s.

In 1997, Tomorrow's World declared that it was "the year of the virtual pet." Requiring less responsibility than a puppy, Tamagotchis still had to be fed, played with, and cleaned up after; otherwise, to the horror of many Millennial children, they inevitably died. Now, however, they're back with new features for another generation of kids, even opening a standalone shop in London. They've had a 21st Century upgrade and are now wi-fi enabled. Tamagotchi brand manager Priya Jadeja claims you now can "connect with friends…and different items".

Digimon soon followed the Tamagotchi, first appearing in a similar keychain-sized device. Named after a combination of the words Digital and Monster, the main difference between them and their predecessor was that Digimon could fight each other. Digimon were also incredibly successful, spawning a wide range of spin-off games and an anime television series.

But the history of the electronic pet predates even these. In 1971, Tomorrow's World showed off a potential future pet: the Xee. Shaped a bit like a tortoise, the Xee had a metal shell and red eyes and wouldn't look out of place on Robot Wars. It could move around randomly and be built easily at home by electronics enthusiasts. It might not yet have had a personality to speak of, but it was a sign of what was to come.

In 1999, Tomorrow's World also showed off the first robot dog available to buy: Sony's AIBO. Standing for Artificial Intelligence roBOt, it sold out in minutes when it was first released. Much more pet-like than anything that had come before, it charmed the Tomorrow's World presenters and could interact with its owner and act like a 'real' dog - at least one you didn't have to walk. It paved the way for a wave of toy robot dogs that children could play with - including Tekno, Poo-chi, and iDog.

One of the earliest electronic pets on sale, and also one of the most iconic, was the Furby. Vaguely owl-shaped, the talkative toys were released in 1998 and quickly topped Christmas wishlists. They were unique in that you could talk to them, and they would talk back - first in their own language, Furbish, but eventually also in English. You could pet and feed them, and they could blink, move their ears, and even dance. If you had more than one, they would talk to each other.

They weren't popular with everyone, however. Many parents were horrified to discover they didn't have an off switch and were very easily activated, and there were even rumours it could record what people around it were saying, external, leading it to be banned from US government buildings.

The Furby was retired in 2016, but now both it as well as the Tamagotchi are back and aimed at a new generation – the children of the original consumers, nostalgic for the 1990s. As today's parents their love for the artificial pet craze on to their kids, the familiar Tamagotchi beeps and Furby chatter has been ed by a new generation of futuristic toy pets, some featuring holograms or virtual reality.

As technology moves on, robotic pets are sure to come on in leaps and bounds.

Take for example, a not very cute robotic dog named Spot who was seen patrolling the perimeter of Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.

ers-by are warned by a sign on each of Spot's legs: "DO NOT PET."