Today Sega Toys presented their newest invention, a plastic plant called Pekoppa [JP, PDF].
The plant will stay inactive until someone communicates with it. If you start speaking, the stem begins to bend. The movement is supposed to resemble a human being’s nod. An IC chip placed in the pot is able to identify rythms in human speech. A current is sent through the stem, which bends and stretches accordingly.
According to Sega Toys’ official press release, the target group consists of office workers and people in desperate need of two-way communication. Pekoppa’s official tagline is “Heal yourself with this plant, which is a good listener!”.
The Japan-only toy is available from September 30th and will cost $22. Sega Toys hopes to sell a total of 200,000 Pekoppas in the first year.
Hi Serkan,
Now this is quite the invention, especially for some lonely people out there. Although, I can see it on people’s office desks at work. I think it is pretty cool, the plant reacted, and responding to you. Well, I guess it is a plant that you don’t have to water, so you don’t have to worry about it. Wonder if it looks real! Sega Toys is always coming out with something interesting, although this is NOT for kids.
The only thing I could see happening, is the initial thrill of it, will probably wear off pretty quickly, but it could always be used as a conversation piece. For the price of $22 that isn’t bad, my cousin bought me a parrot that talked which cost a lot more than that, that soon became a dust collector.
I agree, these things are all dust collectors. But Sega’s pricing is pretty clever, just as you said.
They say in the press release it is perfect for stress release during work…
Hi Serkan,
Yes, I could see it as the perfect stress release for work, since most office jobs are so full of stress, that it would be a relief to come back to your desk and talk to your plant. Sometimes, it is SO much easier to talk to either animals, or plants, or even an inanimate objects, rather than people. LOL!
There you go, Sega has you.
Too funny!!! LOL!!!
pekoppa is awesome, but not awesome for people not in japan. and $22 is pretty cheap for something like that. we wish we could have it here in the U.S! PEKOPPA IS SO CUTE!!!
Here’s a novel concept. Instead of talking to a plant that “nods” to acknowledge it is being talked to . . . how about walking across the room, opening the door, and actually speaking to a real person? Japan is turning into a society of lonely hermits and this “breakthrough invention” surely isn’t helping anyone.
How about buying a real plant for about $5 and having something that truly depends upon you for its life? In return, it will take CO2 out of your workspace and replace it with life-giving oxygen. Now THAT is something to be happy about. Andy you can talk to it, too, and it will be happy to listen. Give it a name! Take it for walks! Your co-workers won’t think you’re any more crazy than if you talk to a $22 toy.
I have one. My boss bought it for me a few weeks back and it is mostly a conversation piece. It was funny getting it because the packaging is all Japanese. Lucky for me, I studied Japanese in high school and was able to decipher it’s purpose.