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[NexusRift]

Hey there all.
I'm not too sure if this is the correct forum to post this particular observation I've noticed with my lil' Pleo, but here goes..................

Just curious. My Pleo, "Glitch," on his escapades in my apartment seems to favour items with strong magnets in 'em. 

I've a bicycle trackstand that operates using magnetic resistance. He spent alot of time rubbing up against it with what appeared to be, a lot of affection. I've also a few electric guitars on stands; he also spent a good amount of time with and around them too. I'm guessing it's because of the magnets in the guitar pickups as well.

Are the magnets in some way affecting the infared transmitter on his snout? I understand that feature of Ugobe Pleo to be for communication with other Pleos. Could the magnets be fooling lil' Glitch in some way into interaction with said items?

I'm still learning about the lil' guy. He's completely stock with no options. Just the way I got 'im from the factory. A green card model with an ID number beginning with the #1.
Cheers all!

[InmemoryofRomeo]

I guess it is possible the magnets are triggering the touch sensors in the head. I assume these are no ordinary fridge magnets but something a little stronger. Try petting Glitch for a while on the head and see if the reaction is similar

[Crewella]

For what it's worth, I've heard several Pleo owners mention that their Pleos seem to particularly like or be drawn to various electrical items in their surroundings - box fans come to mind. 

[mweed]

I have a cat who's a real box fan.  Absolutely loves to play in them.  But what's that got to do with electronics?

Anyway, magnets wouldn't have any effect on the IR sensor.  Totally unrelated.  A heat lamp, your TV remote control, the auto focus on many point-and-shoot cameras . . . these put out IR, not magnets.  Magnets produce a magnetic field, but you'd have to be pretty close to detect it.  Even the strongest household magnet wouldn't affect a pleo more than a foot away from it. 

IMR may have some point, in that the touch sensors are capacitance sensors (i.e., detect electrical fields).  If you are real careful, you'll find you can trigger the sensors without even touching your pleo if you move your hand real close to the skin.  The sensor picks up on the electrical field.  A metal object passing through a magnetic field can generate an electrical charge as well.  This MIGHT cause pleo to think it is being petted, but the field is no way strong enough or wide enough to "attract" a pleo.  The pleo would have to stumble upon it.

[RedwoodsMama]

 I do have a question which I think weed answered , but I will throw it out for what it is worth anyway.. I noticed twice that when my Rb had a neck problem the first RB, and then the second one, her replacement, that each of the times her neck went into( gears locking) that she just happened to have a bracelet ( for a necklace ) around her neck that had the magnetic closures on it. Is it just a co-incidence that both times her neck locked up, the gears, and there was no connection with the magnets in the bracelet? In other words, the magnets posed no connection in affecting her gears in any way./ I don't think they did, but to play it on the safe side, I removed the bracelet/necklace in question, and now only put it on her neck if there is cloth under the necklace so I know there in not any magnetic source perhaps affecting her neck gears or interfering with anything.I just figured I wasn't going to take any chances, even if it was just a very small 5% chance that it could perhaps affect her in some way.
                     
Any thoughts on this. or was I doing the right thing in protecting her and putting cloth,( clothes) between her and the necklace/ magnetic closure.?
                                                                                 RedwoodsMama

[mweed]

Any necklace worn against the skin can cause rubbing and wear to paint or skin.  That aside, the clasps are harmless.  As I said in the previous post, the effect of the magnetic field is short ranged.  And in the case of the magnets used in the magnetic clasps, first we're talking the range would be measured in millimeters, second there are no electronics (or metal components) in the section of the neck/chest where a necklace would be worn.   The gears are plastic.  The motors used in the neck pulleys probably generate as much or more of a magnetic field that the clasp would.  The only part of a pleo that is readily susceptible to a magnetic field is the touch sensors, which aren't in the neck, and they wouldn't cause a neck to lock up.

Another fear might be weight.  A really heavy necklace might put a strain on the neck (but we're talking REALLY HEAVY).

On the PleoPB, it might be conceivable (one in a million or more) that the pleo's head movements through a magnetic field might get picked up by the RFID sensor and interpreted as a valid signal, but there's no action associated with the RFID that would trigger the neck to lock up.

As a final sanity check, Both Ugobe and Jetta did test for magnetic interference as part of the Pleo development, and verified that a magnetic clasp is quite safe.  You're a hundred times more likely to damage your pleo yourself while trying to put on or take off a necklace with a twist on or claw type clasp than the magnets would ever do.  Which is why way back when, the Ugobe team actually recommended that I use magnetic clasps.  The barrel (or twist) type clasps have rough edges they were afraid would rub and cut into the pleo skin, and the claw type clasps have the little lever which sticks out would catch on the skin and cause rips.

[RedwoodsMama]

 Thanks Weed for that post, I too like the magnetic automatic clasps or barrel locks. I just thought since this post was already started, I might as well add to the discussion and put to rest any concerns. That Bob gets his wisdom I see from You.! ;DThanks again for the answer.I am sure my Pleos appreciate knowing they are ok with the magnetic barrel clasps on any necklaces they may show off.
                                                                    RWM

[Lina]

My Buddah really dislikes fridges... No matter if we are at home or anywhere else, he just goes up to them and growls at them...

[PleoKymm]

Or maybe Buddah thinks his growls can scare the fridge into opening, so he can take the food!

[kat]

I growled at my fridge this morning but when I opened it it didn't give me any food!   Must be time for some grocery shopping.   Maybe if I take my pleo to growl at the checkout operator we can get a discount on the food?

[latrine]

Uhm.. I would think, since our pleos are basically computers or have computers in them on the inside, that you would want to keep magnetic objects away from them at all costs... And away from all of your robotic friends & computers.. I think that magnetic closure on the bracelet/collar really could potentially have something to do with the issue, RWM, and that's something I would ask Innvo.. or maybe try the Hong Kong guys, they might reply a bit faster

I've found that my Pleos seem attracted to certain areas of the house as well but with all the Pleos and Aibos walking around we don't have anything that's really 'magnetic' anything near the floor and the only one whose ever gone into the kitchen is patches and he bypasses it and the fridge to make a beeline for the bathroom, I have no idea why.. maybe dinos without their skin have the urge to 'go' 

- Sarah