Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

There were some positives and negatives that my son and I experienced while playing with Chip. There are several components that come with Chip that help his interactive experience that I will also rate based on a 1-5 scale (5 being best). All which come with the purchase. You just need some AA batteries for the ball. o App: Overall Experience: 3 There is an App available from any smartphone or tablet play store. I was able to download to my Android smartphone (I have KitKat software at this time) but you can also use it with iOS. It was easy to download under 5 minutes. Bluetooth must be enabled and your device selected to be found with no time limits in order to work with the robot. We had a couple of issues with the set up process. The app and dog did not pair right away. I had to reboot both in order for them to find each other. I was prompted to update the firmware after the dog was found. This took 3 attempts before it completed without failing. I had to reboot the dog and my phone twice before it worked. Features of the app include a remote control feature, renaming of the dog option, trick guide, and an option to “feed” the dog. The feed dog option does not really serve a purpose in my opinion as you simply hold down on a “food item” like a milk bone, and flick it up the screen. There are no animations on the screen and the dog does not do anything. You simply get a small box that pops up that says Feeding Complete. o Smart Band: Overall Experience: 5 The Smart Band is to be worn by the “owner” of Chip or whoever is playing with him at that time. There is a sensor on it that Chip reacts to. He uses it to focus his attention in your direction which is helpful when you play fetch, soccer, or follow me. You can use the smartband in various modes including, location, play mode, voice recognition, and even as a remote control. The Smart Band is very responsive and easy to use. It was already paired when we turned on the band, however, according to the instructions all you have to do is hold it near Chip’s back for a couple of seconds. The band charges via provided USB cable. o Smart Bed: Overall Experience: 2 The bed is what is used as Chip’s charger. His eyes turn purple when his batteries are running low. This is supposed to be the indicator that he will start looking for his bed to return to so he can start to charge. However, he rarely found his bed and when he finally did, the connectors would not sit properly. He kept getting back up, trying to readjust. My son helped him but he would stand back up before charged so his eyes were still purple. We found it easiest to just simply plug in the provided AC adapter into his belly. o Smart Ball: Overall Experience: 4 Chip’s favorite thing to do is to play with the Smart Ball. He shows excitement when you turn it on. To pair it, you simply hold it near his back for a few seconds. It does require batteries that are not rechargeable. It was fun for my son, and for me to watch, him play Soccer with Chip. He rolls the ball towards Chip and Chip charges it in his effort of sending it back to my son. They played like this for a good 30-45 minutes! Chip sometimes had a hard time finding the ball when we played fetch and the ball went too far out of reach. You need to be within 10 feet or so for it to work best. He would have a hard time picking it up and you have to move the ball so that the sensor is facing him correctly. Overall Cons: o Voice recognition attempts fail on the first command most of the time. To help with this, lower your voice slightly. Once we renamed him via the app, he responded to my son much better. o Sensors are slightly weak. He ran into the walls quite a few times, and I certainly do not see him navigating an obstacle course. He is very fast so he ramming into the wall could damage the wall or dog, so be careful of where you are playing with him. o The ball has to be moved sometimes to ensure the sensors are facing Chip so he can retrieve the ball or go towards it. o You have to keep the ball within 10 feet or so or Chip can’t find it. Overall Experience: o For me as the parent: 3 o For my Child: 4 o My son and my favorite things to play with Chip were soccer, dance command, renaming him via the app so that the voice recognition worked better, following game (where he follows the smartband wearer around the house), and playing soccer. My son really enjoys Chip and played with him non stop for about 2 hours although some of that time was trying to help Chip find the ball and charge properly. As a parent, I did lose interest pretty quickly. However, it was fun to watch my son interact with the robot as if it was a new puppy trying to teach it new tricks.