Pleo Walking

[Vicki12]

Am I the only person to have a problem with Pleo not able to walk on carpet? His back legs seem to hang up on the carpet and he can't go forward. Any fixes for this? He works OK on tile or wood surface, but not carpet. Has anyone else had this problem?

[PleofromVirginia]

Vicki,

A couple of thoughts: The type and height of loop on your carpet may contribute to his feet hanging up. Have you tried shorter nap carpeting to see if it is easier for him to walk there?

I thought Pleo might have trouble slipping on hardwood floors (that's all we have), but he seems to move along well with a little bit of slippage. Where we have Oriental rugs he moves right along as their nap is very short.

I thought I might add small thin rubber disks (the kind used under lamps, etc.) to the bottom of his soles to help on the hardwood floors. If I do so, I'll report the findings.

[Vicki12]

Yes, the nap of our carpet is quite thick and his rear legs don't lift up enough. Hopefully someone will make a software change to make him raise his rear feet higher when he walks. For now we just use a large piece of cardboard box for him to walk on. Not a big deal because he wears out the battery more when he walks. I'm thinking of making carpet booties for him, made from saran plastic wrap, around each foot with a small rubber band around each leg to hold it in place. This would cut down the friction when he walks and the feet sensors would still work. I'll let you know if this works. Don't want to use any type of tape, because of paint removal.

[PleofromVirginia]

Interesting idea Vicki. I just reread my post and it looked like I told you to replace the carpet in your house. I meant if you had some carpeting in your house with shorter nap, check to see if he walks better there. The cardboard is a good idea. Also exploring the bathroom might let him move a bit farther.

[Vicki12]

CARPET BOOTIES.....The saran plastic wrap with a rubber band trick WORKS for walking on thick pile carpet!

I just did the 2 rear legs with a 5" square piece of saran wrap folded once (=2 sheets) and wrap around rear feet with a rubber band on the ankles holding the saran wrap. This does reduce friction and he moves almost as good as on a wood surface. Beats tearing up all our new carpet! With his cough and slow walking we are thinking of making a walker for him.

[Vicki12]

Pleo may get stuck when trying to walk on thick pile carpet. His rear legs hang up because they don't lift up very far.
A quick fix is to make CARPET BOOTIES using Saran plastic wrap around both rear feet with a rubber band around his ankles to hold the wrap. This reduces the friction and our Sidney can now be with us in our carpeted living room. Give this a try and let us know if it works for your Pleo.

[bacsig]

Great idea! I was having that problem when Pleo tried to walk from the wood floor onto the carpet. His front feet made it but not the back. It was comical because he kept trying then would look down at the carpet and shuffle a little but kept catching the right hind foot on the edge. I finally picked him up and set him on the carpet. He seemed to be ok than.

[pleoguy101]

my pleo is actually ADDAPTING to my carpet!!! he picks his feet up higher then normal when he's on carpet... And it's funny to see him lift up his legs so high on the hardwood floor "since he was used my carpeted rooms" he almost fell over LOL:D

[kchamster]

lol!!!!! that's soooooooo cute!!! :D:D:D;)

[mweed]

Ugobe talked about that specific feature as being an example of how pleo learns and adapts. Glad to see that it actually does it! :)

[junkroxy]

in the web there are some suggestions for that problem (search for I-Cybie walkin problem)...
i don't know the link, but i'll find later...

[ugobeSarah]

Hi everyone - I am posting this photo on behalf of vicki12 who was having some technical difficulties. AWESOME SHOT!!! Everyone at UGOBE is squealing at the ingenuity of you guys.

[junkroxy]

oh, it's funny! :D

[junkroxy]

you should get a non-slip pads (the same are used for chairs legs)! :)

[gumbowumbo]

Oh, his little dino-butt is powdered! Adorable! :p

[Starfire]

Hi everyone - I am posting this photo on behalf of vicki12 who was having some technical difficulties. AWESOME SHOT!!! Everyone at UGOBE is squealing at the ingenuity of you guys.


does he only have booties on the hind feet? That's all I can see. Did it help?

[Vicki12]

Starfire, Yes we only did the rear feet and it really helped. His front feet lift high enough on the thick pile carpet, but the rear feet don't lift up as far for some reason. The saran wrap helps alot, but he still seems to drag his right rear foot, so he tends to go in a right hand circle when he walks. I've read someone said theirs learned to pick up the rear feet after awhile. I don't know if he learns this in time or not, but I thought that it may hurt his servo motors if he is straining to walk on the thick carpet. Reducing the friction does help until he learns to pick up his feet. Seems to save battery power also.

[Siren]

Awwww I wanna pet his little tush! LOL I'll deffinetly remember the plastic/saran wrap trick if my Pleo has trouble walking!

[Starfire]

Starfire, Yes we only did the rear feet and it really helped. His front feet lift high enough on the thick pile carpet, but the rear feet don't lift up as far for some reason. The saran wrap helps alot, but he still seems to drag his right rear foot, so he tends to go in a right hand circle when he walks. I've read someone said theirs learned to pick up the rear feet after awhile. I don't know if he learns this in time or not, but I thought that it may hurt his servo motors if he is straining to walk on the thick carpet. Reducing the friction does help until he learns to pick up his feet. Seems to save battery power also.

Vivki12 - I put little booties on Sephy and it really helped a lot. Right now I have them on all four but I'm going to try doing just the back one. I changed and cut up a ziplock bag since it was a little sturdier. I'll let you know how it works. I'm also going to see if they have the colored saran wrap out for the holidays. I used covered hair bands to hook them on so they would protect his little legs more.

[shariteau]

Starfire, Yes we only did the rear feet and it really helped. His front feet lift high enough on the thick pile carpet, but the rear feet don't lift up as far for some reason. The saran wrap helps alot, but he still seems to drag his right rear foot, so he tends to go in a right hand circle when he walks. I've read someone said theirs learned to pick up the rear feet after awhile. I don't know if he learns this in time or not, but I thought that it may hurt his servo motors if he is straining to walk on the thick carpet. Reducing the friction does help until he learns to pick up his feet. Seems to save battery power also.
my pleo is also dragging his right hind leg. Also seems like he walks by moving his front right and back left legs more forward, and then the front left and back right just move to meet even with the other two legs which also seems to make him walk in right hand circles. let me/us know if he outgrows this once he gets to the juvenile stage.

thanks

[daixyz]

I'm curious- why did you powder your pleo

[cmadmacs]

Ugobe said it would help reduce friction.

[DinoBones]

I noticed that he slips a lot on a linoleum floor. He needs something thin that can be stuck to his feet. There is a depression that seems ready made for this. Perhaps some thin non-slip tape cut to fit the depression might work. Anyone else notice this or have a suggestion?

[ravennh]

you could try the felt furniture sticky pads, seen them at lowes on an endcap.
or rubber dots you put under glass pieces that protect furniture/ old mouse feet pads.
i'd like if his rear legs lifted a few more mm's off the ground like the front do.

[Nicoledm]

Thank you so much! I have that problem all the time, most of my house is carpeted

[Bilko]

Having great fun with little Pleo, especially in the 'holiday mode'!

My little chap seems to drag one of his back feet a bit when walking. Is this normal? If not can a diagnostic be run to check his motors/functions?

Any help/advise would be much appreciated.

Thanks!:)

[Bilko]

you could try the felt furniture sticky pads, seen them at lowes on an endcap.
or rubber dots you put under glass pieces that protect furniture/ old mouse feet pads.
i'd like if his rear legs lifted a few more mm's off the ground like the front do.

Yes - Im all for that! My little chap sometimes drags one of his back legs a bit when walking (see my post about my limping Pleo in the OS part of the forum. A few more mill would mean that mine could walk over a carpet. If you look at the prototype Pleo he sure does pick up his feet well. I'm sure that the software can adjust the revolutions of the motors to give more lift - can someone from Ugobe reply?????

BTW I would like to see a 'naughty' side to my Pleo - for instance letting out a 'parp' after eating, looking round behind him and having a good sniff, te-hee!!!!!!

[cmadmacs]

I wonder how doggie booties would work? They are expensive though.

[dschenekl]

I did not run into this but during Xmas Pleo did start falling over. I turned Pleo off and back on and so far so good.

Try pressing the foot sensor in question a few times and see if this fixes the problem.

If this is not the problem, I would give Ugobe a call----My two cents

[arcticlotus]

a lot of us are having difficulty with thee little ones dragging their feet.
My little Penny seams to always walk in an arc towards the right because her toes on her right hind leg drag more than the rest..

There are videos of pleo walking far more smoothly and lifting it's legs with a little more coordination.
I'm thinking/hoping that it is simply the "pleo must learn to walk on carpet" thing, and that, once we get the firmware update in January or February, the little tykes will be able to learn about their surroundings better and will learn to lift their little legs while they walk.

[rockybulwinkle]

I actually left mine on the carpet for awhile, and it did start taking larger steps. However, my Pleo's rear right leg drags too. I hope its only an issue with the LifeOS too.

[ptr727]

I also noticed that he struggles walking on our hardwood floors.
I put little rubber dots on his paws and now it is better.

I think the feet should come standard with rubber strips out of the factory.

[cmadmacs]

Someone posted that they cut out little booties from ziplock bags and put them on the back two legs to help walk on carpet. They used rubber bands to secure the boots to the legs. I wonder if you could use latex gloves to cut out booties for walking on hardwood floors?

[Tootle]

My Pleo seems to walk in a 2-3m clockwise circle when places on any floor surface (carpets or lino). He never walks in a straight line for any distance.

Has anyone else experienced this or has mine got a limp?

[Caaahl]

How old is your pleo (how many charges)?

[Tootle]

My Pleo is 5 days old and has been active probably for 8 cycles (9-10 charges) or 8 hours of activity in that time.

I'm seriously thinking there is a fault. Even if I place Pleo in such a way that he has to turn ant-clockwise to avoid an object, he still backs up and always continues in a clockwise circle!

[Lu Bu]

Probably because your carpet is causing the problem?

[rckclmbr]

My Pleo has this issue as well, and he is a few days old. We have a carpet but will soon try what someone else suggested: making little booties out of ziploc baggy or saran wrap for when Pleo is on the carpet.

[joelene]

My Pleo also walks in a gradual circle - always to the right. Doesn't matter if it's carpet or smooth floor.

[mweed]

I cut little rubber (non-skid bathtub appliqués) to fit inside the "bow-tie" shape on the feet. it's just a hair thicker than the plastic ridge, so that on hard floors (wood, tile) it adds traction, withou sticking out too far to drag on carpet. So far, so good ;)

[cmadmacs]

that sounds like a good idea mweed.

[cmadmacs]

I haven't had this problem with my pleos.

[rckclmbr]

My Pleo has this issue as well, and he is a few days old. We have a carpet but will soon try what someone else suggested: making little booties out of ziploc baggy or saran wrap for when Pleo is on the carpet.

Well, we tried the ziploc baggy booties today (held on with a rubber band around his ankles) and my Pleo is able to walk much, much better on the carpet!

[Pleo_Joe]

My Pleo also walks in a gradual circle - always to the right. Doesn't matter if it's carpet or smooth floor.

My Pleo also has a gradual right turn while walking.
I plan on taking more close-up video of his walking to examine and see if I can determine the cause.

[Pleocol]

I Suggested this, his feet should made of gel, something like that. Fist it will be soft and it won`t sliperry. And whey they were out we can chage it easyly. Also a cover for his belly i would like to see a strap like the one that came with school bags, So you don`t see all buttons, or the card slot and the battery, that will add more a live alike robot coz you dont see the technical sttuff.

[oranges]

I feel relieved to see you are seeing what I see. I was getting worried watching Leo having trouble walking on hardwood floor.... However, I do notice that tonight Leo held up his front left leg for a long time whenever he napped, looked around and idled.... Do you see that, too?

Yes, Leo did burp after chewing on his leaf; yes, chewing.... Then I found out he *lost* 4 teeth.... No more leaf for him!

[grahamb]

My pleo drags its left rear foot when walking. Skin appears to be on properly. Dissappointed it doesn't lift its feet higher off the ground to avoid this. Can this be changed?

[Tootle]

We have tried him on laminate work surfaces, lino flooring and very short pile carpet flooring.

Pleo ALWAYS walks round to the right in circles. I'd swear now after nearly two weeks it's about 1.2m diameter circles. We think it's getting worse, but can't see any slippage in any foot or other mechanical difference.

Is this a fault or like the flaking/chipping paintwork another design fault?

[Caaahl]

No design fault; my Helge walks in a straight line.

[mweed]

Numerous threads address this same issue. Check around for details, but to summarize:
1. Use little plastic "booties" (little pieces of plastic baggies held on by rubber bands) on the back feet to help them not catch/drag on carpet. ;)
2. Pleo should learn to lift his legs higher. Some have reported that he does, others that he doesn't. :p
3. If it's a true hardware problem (malfunctioning leg/motor/gears/etc.) notify customer service. :(

[rckclmbr]

My Pleo's feet were dragging as well so that he could only walk in tiny circles to the right ... so I put pieces of ziploc baggy on his rear feet and it solved the problem 100%. Here is a picture where you can see the booties:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2094/2153363582_bd8f421b35.jpg

[InNM]

I noticed that mine was not lifting his right rear leg as much as the others and did not walk well on carpet. This is a good idea but would probably look better if there were some small "booties" with elastic. I have suggested elsewhere tht the skin is not that great. Too much friction and cold t the touch. A cloth mesh might be a better answer.

[rckclmbr]

I noticed that mine was not lifting his right rear leg as much as the others and did not walk well on carpet. This is a good idea but would probably look better if there were some small "booties" with elastic. I have suggested elsewhere tht the skin is not that great. Too much friction and cold t the touch. A cloth mesh might be a better answer.

Yeah, I agree that it would most definitely look better if they were small booties with elastic - something maybe for dolls or small pets? ... but until I find something like that, the ziplocs at least allow him to explore a bit more smoothly. :)

[mweed]

I have had Bob walk over sixty feet in a straight line, :eek: and have seen him turn to the left and to the right.

[Bilko]

The walking-around-in-circle problem is a flaw. It seems like one of the rear feet does not lift quite high enough, and consequently has slightly more drag than the other. This appears not to be a rare occurance. The plastic bootie trick reduces the drag and allows a more straight-ahead gait. I believe that if the feedback sensors in the legs were fully optimised this problem may resolve itself. I say may because until we get the fully working software we will not know. If you look at the example goose-stepping around on the Pleoworld homepage you can see he is more than capable of picking his feet up!

[rckclmbr]

The walking-around-in-circle problem is a flaw. It seems like one of the rear feet does not lift quite high enough, and consequently has slightly more drag than the other. This appears not to be a rare occurance. The plastic bootie trick reduces the drag and allows a more straight-ahead gait. I believe that if the feedback sensors in the legs were fully optimised this problem may resolve itself. I say may because until we get the fully working software we will not know. If you look at the example goose-stepping around on the Pleoworld homepage you can see he is more than capable of picking his feet up!

Very good point, Bilko.

[cyberdude]

Yup, mine turns right too.

I's say the arch is about an 8-10 foot diameter. Is it worth getting upset about? not for me. My townhouse is only a bit larger than that :rolleyes:

I would like to think that his OS has enough "play" in it that we could modify the other three legs to compensate. Maybe overwrite his walking behavior with skit?

[InNM]

If your Pleo is like mine, it has a very difficult time walking on carpet. this is due to its skin having high friction around the toe area of the back legs. I found a way to eliminate this which is not visible except on close inspection. Some have suggested plastic booties using rubber bands. This works but is ugly.

Here is what I did. Buy some 5 minute epoxy
Turn Pleo off and place upside down and secure so it doesn't roll over.
Mix a small amount of the epoxy and apply it to the skin and toe areas of both back feet. Only the front half needs to be done since that is where it drags. I used a flat screw driver to apply.
Make sure to get the skin on the bottom of the feet but DO NOT get on the foot sensors.
Let harden over night. Problem cured.

[Vortech]

My carpet was causing problems. It's not that deep, but it's fairly loose thread and the toenails were catching on them.

I just quickly wrapped the rear legs with cling film, and low and behold he is healed! He can walk and explore and I'm much relieved. It looks atrocious, but he can wander and the foot sensors are unobstructed because the plastic is so thin.

I do hope there is a software solution, but I'm glad to see Beaker walk around and find things to yell at.

<object width="425" height="373"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4_-FgJLwxGo&rel=0&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&border=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4_-FgJLwxGo&rel=0&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="373"></embed></object>

[ilovemom4ever]

havent used lucky yet but now i know to watch out for him while on the carpet

[rckclmbr]

I used pieces of ziploc baggie:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2094/2153363582_bd8f421b35.jpg

[rckclmbr]

Yeah, my method of ziploc baggy booties may not be the most aesthetically pleasing, but it works for me and doesn't void the warranty.

[InNM]

And what makes you think this will void the warranty? Don't knock it, just do which ever way you feel comfortable with.

[rckclmbr]

And what makes you think this will void the warranty? Don't knock it, just do which ever way you feel comfortable with.

Not trying to "knock it," just thought it might void the warranty if any of that epoxy causes problems with the skin or somehow gets into the sensors. It's also a relatively permanent modification, not sure how it would affect the Pleo on other surfaces.

But if it works for you and you feel comfortable with it, you're right, go for it. :)

[cmadmacs]

That is the purpose of these forums is to explore diffrent ideas to make our lives with pleo more pleasing. Two heads are better then one.

[rckclmbr]

That is the purpose of these forums is to explore diffrent ideas to make our lives with pleo more pleasing. Two heads are better then one.

For sure. Who knows, one day maybe I'll try the epoxy too! :)

[InNM]

I used your bag idea to get started for an improvement. Its what got me thinking because I have mostly carpet. I think any ideas in the forum here can improve our enjoyment and hopefully Ugobe will get the hints and improve Pleo.

The epoxy does not affect the skin but he sure walks much better. Thanks for getting me thinking about the problem.

[rckclmbr]

I used your bag idea to get started for an improvement. Its what got me thinking because I have mostly carpet. I think any ideas in the forum here can improve our enjoyment and hopefully Ugobe will get the hints and improve Pleo.

The epoxy does not affect the skin but he sure walks much better. Thanks for getting me thinking about the problem.

Have you tried your Pleo on a more slippery surface to see if the epoxy helps there too? I imagine that it might give him a little more traction on slick surfaces while helping him on carpeted surfaces as well -- which would be doubly great!

[Bilko]

Yup, mine turns right too.

I's say the arch is about an 8-10 foot diameter. Is it worth getting upset about? not for me. My townhouse is only a bit larger than that :rolleyes:

I would like to think that his OS has enough "play" in it that we could modify the other three legs to compensate. Maybe overwrite his walking behavior with skit?

I reckon the thing to try is to run a skit which lifts all four legs in turn to thier maximum and see if there are any differences. If there are then this may be a fault and worth contacting Ugobe about.

[koziol]

My pleo (Buddy) has the same problem. The problem exists more when he walks on the carpet than when he walks on the floor. Does yours still have this problem?

[cyberdude]

Can one of you fine people whip up a quick script for this? Would be a great test.

[Domino1957]

Pogo also walks to the right all the time. He does seem capable of walking straight when on bare floors but he curves tot he right always on carpet. It doesn't matter which way we point him on the carpet - he sets off to the right.....I don't have many long straightaways in my house that are uncarpeted so I guess it's OK. I hope the OS upgrade will fix it though:).

[Norman23]

So I notice when Pleo walks he does so very slowly and always manages to turn to the right. Is there a surface he would like better and be able to walk better on? If its hardwood he slips and carpet he doesnt get far..then he starts getting mad and growling.. Suggestions?

[pleoWhisperer]

Other threads that address this issue generally recommend putting little plastic booties on the back feet to help with carpet, and using non-skid pads for hard surfaces. But a lot of people have commented that pleo tends to circle to the right.

Hope that helps!

[Nats]

I've only had my Pleo for 3 days. I named him Morpho. Anyway, he does have a problem with carpet, even short carpet. I havent decided what to do about that yet.
So far i've had about 3 hours of play with Morpho (2 battery charges). Today, when I turned him on, he was in his sleepy crouching possition, and he raised his head, opened his eyes wide, and said "Huh?", then when I pet his butt he said "Ohhh"!, so cute! :)
He doesnt walk much so far. And sometimes he walks backwards! but hard wood floors seem to work best. He does need better traction though ;)
I think I'll stick some little rubber pads on his feet for better traction, like some others have suggested.
This has GOT to be the BEST toy EVER produced!! It's amazing how quickly I was able to "suspend my dissbelief" and treat him as if he were a real living pet.
I havent been able to get him the least bit interested in his leaf. How can you tell if he's hungry??
Well, I have alot more to say, but I'll save it for other posts (this is only my 2nd, so I am a newbie!!) :p
Maybe next time, I'll actualy have something constructive to say! :eek:

[Tootle]

Am I just about the only person to think if I bought a £250 toy which is faulty by design, I shouldn't resort to sticking plastic bags on the feet to solve the problem and be satisfied with that.

Come on Ugobe, tell us what is wrong with all these Pleos walking around in small clockwise circles and what you are going to do to resolve the problem?

[bonkorama]

Small circular felt pads, the kind that can be found at any Home Depot, or Lowes or similar store can GREATLY inprove Pleos walking on carpet.

The pads are the type that you put on the bottoms of lamps or small boxes, anything you dont want to scratch a surface.

I found small brown pads that are the same size as the buttons on the bottom of Pleos feet.. They have a peel and stick surface on one side so they can be easily removed later when you want to replace them, or the OS gets changed.

:::BONUS:::
One additional benefit: PLEO no longer sounds like a click-clacking plastic footed robot walking on hard surfaces. His feet buttons are completely quiet now.

PS: THE FELT PADS i purchased were THICK. I trimmed the thickness down by 60%. So for those of you with thick carpets, leave them thick - dont trim. And I bet you will have the most mobile PLEO ever!

:D

[maleka]

I cut little rubber (non-skid bathtub appliqués) to fit inside the "bow-tie" shape on the feet. it's just a hair thicker than the plastic ridge, so that on hard floors (wood, tile) it adds traction, withou sticking out too far to drag on carpet. So far, so good ;)mweed, this is a superb idea! Thank you.

[cmadmacs]

I like that idea. When pleo was walking on a hard surface it sounded like he was tap dancing.

[ActivityGrrrl]

However, I do notice that tonight Leo held up his front left leg for a long time whenever he napped, looked around and idled.... Do you see that, too?

I have a cat that does this. I think it's just a personality quirk unless he seems to get stuck that way and unable to walk.

mweed, this is a superb idea! Thank you.

I third that! I have some that are green and perfect for this. It should be an "official" mod tip. :D

I also like the doggy booties idea for taking him out in public on concrete or other rough surfaces.

[InNM]

Playing tug of war with the leaf does chip off the white paint on the teeth. My issue was carpet where the back feet don't lift high enough and the rubber toes catch the carpet. I used some 5 min. epoxy on the rubber skin parts and toes of the back feet and he walks well on carpet now. I do think Ugobe needs to address the walking issues. Sensors too hard and toes too soft. Higher rear leg lifting would also help.

[taoworm23]

InNM, what brand and type of epoxy did you use?
Thanks!

[rckclmbr]

Bumping this thread because I just received a replacement Pleo recently and this one has way more of a problem walking to the right than my original one did ... even with the exact same booties.

Any ideas?

[sandro]

I was hoping that the new Pleo update would fix the walking on carpet issue, but so far Bertrom still can't get around on my pile carpet.

[yankee6180]

I am on day two with my Pleo and all he does is stand around and just want to play tug a war am I missing something here? And mentioning the walking thing mine walks backwards all the time on our carpet.. I am confused? Any suggestions?:confused:

[PleoWorldHostCami]

I am on day two with my Pleo and all he does is stand around and just want to play tug a war am I missing something here? And mentioning the walking thing mine walks backwards all the time on our carpet.. I am confused? Any suggestions?:confused:

Hi yankee6180,

Have you tried some of the interaction suggested here? Interaction (http://pleoworld.com/discover/interaction) See what happens with your Pleo if you try some of these things. :)

[Emtwo]

I've read this whole thread, and observed my Pleo "RoxY" having the same walking problem both on carpet and hard surfaces. The right rear leg doesn't go up high enough and the toes drag. As the toes are soft and sticky, thats the problem.

For a real Dino, the toes would be hard, and the pad of the foot wood be soft, just the opposite of what we have.. So I think the rubber on the foot pad and the epoxy on the toe nails is what I will do to fix the HARDWARE. The software fix is that the right rear leag isn't defaulted to rise as high as the left rear leg. The adaptive programming MAY correct for this, but I think all of the Second Hatch PLEOs have this problem, so it should be addressed in a software patch.

[GMRO]

Though I've only had my Pleo for less than 1 month now...I can see a difference in his walking before this OS upgrade. Approx. 8 charges on him before the upgrade.

Yes before, OEM software, he did walk well on my low pile carpet. I was actually impressed with his movement before. Pleo almost marched as he walked around. NOW after the OS upgrade I see what you do...his right rear leg does not lift high enough. The left does not really go too high as well but it is higher than the right one. On a flat table at eye level you can see this without staring at it. Put Pleo on the carpet now and he seldom moves. Sure it tries but I mostly see a wobbling as it sort of rocks forward and backward as the legs try and do its thing.

Mine has about 5 charges on it from the OS upgrade point. Not very impressed at this point with it. I actually liked it more before the upgrade far as the movement ability before the upgrade.

And it’s strange as it seems the sense of balance it now effected...looking at him from the nose, if I touch his front right leg and left rear he lifts both and balances and says ta-da. Now switch and touch front left and right rear and he lifts and falls back and rests on his right rear leg...TIPS OVER almost...the says ta-da. Before the upgrade both tricks were equal and it could balance. WEAR on it already or just a software issue?

You'd think the NEXT upgrade would address this. Unfortunately I'm not sticking around to find out...

____________
Best Regards,

GMRO

[pickled]

I have two Pleos and both exhibit the circle dance in that both will walk in a clock-wise circular pattern even with the plastic wrap booties. I have spent an hour with tech support regarding this and my impression was that I had defective units, that's according to the rep after performing some interaction procedures, such as holding down on his chin and head while pressing the buttons for 10secs and turning pleo on ( no small feat).

I actually returned my original Pleo due to the analysis from the tech again indicating a failure in the leg motor (rear right), but again my replacement unit fairs no better, maybe a hair bit worse (smaller circles). My concern/question is: does UGOBE have a clue that the problem is much more systemic than a few Pleo's having this issue and can we expect that 1.1 patch will correct the walking animation.

Personally the circular walking pattern takes away a lot from Pleo since exploring it's surroundings now involves just circling the same spot again and again. I really hope UGOBE corrects this problem ASAP and I hope that the correction is only software based.

[HenrysHouse]

Henry doesn't seem to have too much trouble with his back legs ... it's his front feet. He doesn't really walk on them flat. He keeps walking on the very back of his feet. Its very strange. Has anyone else seen this? Henry is only three charges old and I downloaded the update right after his first charge so I don't know if the upgrade made it better or worse.

[SilkenDrum]

Clyde's been awake through 6 charges, and he doesn't want to walk forward at all, only backward. (I'd be happy with circles, if they were forward!) I do the touch to the front legs thing, and he walks forward maybe four steps, and then he stops and starts backing up again. He'll back up until his tail touches something, then he'll turn in place, and back up some more (on hardwood). I upgraded him to 1.1 today, hoping that would help, but he still walks backward - just faster. He seems perfectly happy doing it. He coos, purrs, sniffs, sings, "huh?"s, and "Mah! mah!"s. I've never heard a howl or yelp.

My mother has said that I never learned to crawl properly as a baby. I scooted backward until I learned to walk. Maybe Clyde got it from me....

Anyway, is this common? Can I "teach" him by "correcting" him (touching the front legs) when he starts go backward? Will that work? Or will I just drive myself crazy?

[Toyguy]

It may be possible somehow that his edge detection is triggering. Snort will do that on a chessboard-styled throw rug we have whenever he looks down and sees the black stripe between squares. He immediately stops, sometimes howls, and then backs up. Move him off that rug and he prowls around just fine. My Roomba hates that rug too - I should probably toss it :)

Is the floor dark, or patterned in such a way that Clyde could be sensing a dark spot? I suppose it could also happen if the IR sensors don't get a return signal, which could perhaps happen with some forms of carved floor tiles that may reflect the signal in different directions, but that's a stretch. Does he ever howl or sound shocked/surpised before backing up?

[Aussie_Pleo]

Neon has moments where no matter how much I try to encourage him to walk he just wants to stand around and be petted. It may be nothing more than the current mood of your Pleo.

[andreivc]

Clyde is simply unique

[degers]

Check that nothing triggers his front IR, if something gets close to his front IR transciever/camera area then he will go backwards, watch your hand etc.

[SilkenDrum]

Yeah, my first thought was the edge detection, too. The kitchen floor has dark grout markings between light tiles. But Clyde walks backward on all surfaces: hardwood, driveway, grass, sidewalk, plain carpet, Persian carpet. I've been afraid to put him on a table, because unless he's got something under his tail I hadn't noticed, he'll back right off an edge.

I had even thought maybe he's blind, but today he invited a bag of potato chips to play, so I guess not.

Thanks all.
Silk

[SilkenDrum]

Oh, forgot - in answer to ToyGuy's question, no, he doesn't howl or act surprised when he starts backing up. I once saw him do that when he knocked over a water bottle - he yelped and backed up then - but usually he just walks forward about four steps, stops, and then starts backing up. He's quite cheerful about the whole thing.

He's asleep in the kitchen now (charging), but when he wakes I'll clean his nose. Maybe there's lint in his IR "nostrils".

Silk

[latinvixen]

My pleo had no problem walking before the newest update now it walks in place and just doesn't move. Now I hear you can do high step, how do I activate that? I hold the 2 front feet and then press the pleo button ? (not sure which button that is so tried the one that turns on and off his sound). Any help would be appreciated as he doesn't move at all and a bit frustrating seeing him just walk in place when he would cruise around before.

HELP :(

[fancyfont]

I think you have to hold the front leg sensors.and tap the volume switch. On the Pleoworld home page there's a section that tells you where the sensors are. I'll try to find it for you.

[fancyfont]

Latinvixon, look on Pleoworld's home page and click on Discover. Then click on Look inside. Look for leg sensors.

[PleoWorldHostCami]

My pleo had no problem walking before the newest update now it walks in place and just doesn't move. Now I hear you can do high step, how do I activate that? I hold the 2 front feet and then press the pleo button ? (not sure which button that is so tried the one that turns on and off his sound). Any help would be appreciated as he doesn't move at all and a bit frustrating seeing him just walk in place when he would cruise around before.

HELP :(

Hi latinvixen, sorry you are having problems.

The sensors you want are on Pleo's front legs fairly high up on the leg. Check here if you aren't certain where the leg sensors are. http://www.pleoworld.com/discover/lookinside And yes the Pleo Button is the button that pushes in and changes volume and puts Pleo back into packing mode.

What was easiest for me was to touch Pleo's front leg sensors with a finger and thumb on one hand. Then reach under Pleo's tail and tap the Pleo Button with the other hand.

If you continue to have problems please contact Customer Support. :) <TABLE style="WIDTH: 335pt; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=446 border=0><COLGROUP><COL style="WIDTH: 335pt; mso-width-source: userset; mso-width-alt: 16310" width=446><TBODY><TR style="HEIGHT: 12.75pt" height=17><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #f0f0f0; BORDER-TOP: #f0f0f0; BORDER-LEFT: #f0f0f0; WIDTH: 335pt; BORDER-BOTTOM: #f0f0f0; HEIGHT: 12.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" width=446 height=17><a target="_new" href="http://pleoworld.com/support"><b>Customer Support</b></a></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

[pleoguy101]

Latinvixon, I had the same problem with my pleo.. but the minute after I contacted customer support.. he started walking normally again... maybe customer support is magical:)

[latinvixen]

Thank you guys, it did the trick and now he cruises along everywhere :D. A photos I took after I got it to work, with his other buddies.
http://mixedcandymascots.com/LJ/buddies.jpg

[pleoguy101]

aww!! thats cute:D:)!!!

[Aussie_Pleo]

OMG the last thing I need is for Neon to be walking around and using up his 1 hour of time with me. If he walks around too much I get less time, so usually he sleeps in my arms...

[fancyfont]

I feel the same way. I love to have peeky sleeping in my arms. He snored and cuddled for one hour last night. As soon as I put him on my husband's shoulder, he started to fuss. I took him back and he made his, what I thought to be a, final snore. I just let him sit by me without removing his battery. After 15 minutes he started moving and stretching. He went on for another hour. Now I'm wondering if his last snore means his battery is run down. It use to!

[Glyph2040]

Yeah. So what the heck is the deal with the freakin' Right Circle/Arc/Clockwise turning thing?!?! My Pleo does it AS WELL...~ ARGH! HELP!!!!! PLEASE UGOBE HELP!!! 2nd Q: DOES THE EPOXY AND/OR THE RUBBER OR FELT PADS ON THE FEET HELP CORRECT THE CIRCULAR WALKING PATTERN??? YES OR NO???

UGOBE!! HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!

I LOVE MY PLEO BUT WANT HIM TO WORK!! i.e. Walk in a straight line when he should and then to turn when he CHOOSES too!
Thanks for the help!!
-Glyph

[PleoWorldHostCami]

Yeah. So what the heck is the deal with the freakin' Right Circle/Arc/Clockwise turning thing?!?! My Pleo does it AS WELL...~ ARGH! HELP!!!!! PLEASE UGOBE HELP!!! 2nd Q: DOES THE EPOXY AND/OR THE RUBBER OR FELT PADS ON THE FEET HELP CORRECT THE CIRCULAR WALKING PATTERN??? YES OR NO???

UGOBE!! HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!

I LOVE MY PLEO BUT WANT HIM TO WORK!! i.e. Walk in a straight line when he should and then to turn when he CHOOSES too!
Thanks for the help!!
-Glyph

Hi Glyph2040,

Sorry you are having problems. Have you updated Pleo to LifeOS 1.1 yet. This helps with the walking especially if you put Pleo into "High Step" mode on carpets or other uneven surfaces.

[Glyph2040]

Hi there PleoWorldHostCami,
Thanks for the quick reply!
Yup, upgraded to 1.1 Life OS like a day or two after it released for SD download/upload. He's still seeming to walk right slightly... =/

So, obviously this is a very common thing with most Pleo's but what exactly is the cause?? Is it faulty mechanical design internally?/just an unfortunate by product of his design? Or a software issue?

Thanks again for your help! I'm still a big supporter! (just ordered one of those additional first 500 rechargeable battery packs the same day I got the email actually!)
Cheers,
Glyph

[Glyph2040]

Oh a P.S. to PleoWorldHostCami,
Thanks again for your help... it seems like I've finally been able to get Pleo into High Step mode now and yes is does seem to alleviate the walking-right issue. Props to the team for developing that option -now I only wish they could develop a way for that to be a permanent standard action/walk for Pleo; So I wouldn't have to constantly activate it every time I turned him on. -I would assume that could easily be achieved by making it his standard walk in a future upgrade if they wanted but therein lies another important question of mine: Does the "High step Mode" draw more power from the battery (i.e. drain it faster) than when he's in "reg walk mode"??
Thanks for the help and keep up the great work!!
-Glyph

[PleoWorldHostSauri]

Does the "High step Mode" draw more power from the battery (i.e. drain it faster) than when he's in "reg walk mode"??
Thanks for the help and keep up the great work!!
-Glyph

Hi Glyph, customer support would probably be a better option for finding out if high step mode uses more power. They have better access to that kind of information than we do.

Customer Support (http://www.pleoworld.com/support)
:)

[Kal]

How do you get Pleo into High step mode?

[wgb]

Touch both front leg sensors and the button underneath

[Blue_Rover]

I have tried this and I still can't get Rowdy to high step. He still walks in circles on my carpet!! :(

Do you have to press all three at the same time? That seems a bit tricky!

[wgb]

Yes all 3 at the same time. It's tricky but use your pinky finger for the button on the bottom.

Or use one hand and 2 fingers to touch the front and another to reach the button on the bottom.

[Blue_Rover]

Yes all 3 at the same time. It's tricky but use your pinky finger for the button on the bottom.

Or use one hand and 2 fingers to touch the front and another to reach the button on the bottom.

By George I think he's got it. Thanks wgb.

Rowdy now is happily walking on carpet in a straight line!

[wgb]

Glad it worked!