SMALL, cute and furry they may be, but mere toys they are not. The interactive "social robots" called Petimos have been designed to help protect children when they make friends on social networks.
Petimos, due to be launched later this year, are aimed at 7 to 10-year-olds. Children will only be able to accept new online "friends" if their Petimos are brought into physical contact first, to guard against cyberbullies and paedophiles masquerading as children. The devices work in conjunction with an online social network called Petimo-World in which they are represented by avatars. By squeezing their physical Petimos, or pressing buttons on them, children can send messages or "gifts" to their online friends.
Parents are notified each time a friend request is made and can block approaches that concern them, so children only see and interact online with the avatars of approved friends.
"Internet and text-based communication is only ...
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