At $200, i-Cybie, the new robotic dog from Tiger Electronics, feels like a more reasonably priced Aibo. It does a lot. It can walk, stand, sit, shake a paw, lie down, pivot in a circle, and do handstands. It moves by using 16 different motors, and it has its own brain, with its behavior dependent on how you treat it. Praising i-Cybie will cause it to do tricks and be in a good mood, while scolding it will make it more demure.

The dogs come in two colors, gold and blue, with a clear version being developed. The gold dog reminds me of a red fox, with a shiftier, sly feel. The blue dog looks valorous and proud, kind of like a robotic Lassie, but blue (see it up close). The colors don't really affect the way they behave, but you should choose carefully. I've got a feeling most owners will sense some kind of intuitive difference.

i-Cybie moves with 16 different motors and uses a number of sensors located throughout its body to detect walls, obstacles, and edges so it doesn't bump into things or go tumbling over the side of a table or down flights of stairs. It can even sense when it's being touched and is sensitive to changes in light and movement, which comes in handy when you put it in guard dog mode.

i-Cybie is smart. It communicates with Tiger Electronics' other robotic pet -- Poochi, as well as other i-Cybies and a slew of new pets that are coming out later this year. It also comes embedded with voice recognition technology that lets it recognize its owner's voice, as well as up to eight programmable voice commands.

After about 20 to 30 minutes of inactivity, it drops into sleep mode. If it senses that it needs to be recharged, it lowers its body down in a yoga position with it legs splayed out so that you know it running low on power.

The batteries last between one and two and a half hours and take about six hours to charge (after an initial 10-12 hour charging session). It comes with a remote control that lets you operate 14 different actions, and later this year you'll be able to purchase a unit that lets you download different tricks from the Internet.

At four pounds, 1,400 parts, and 90 feet of wire, this is one complex toy. At $200, it's not as expensive as Aibo and stands as a viable alternative for kids crying for robot dogs at Christmas or birthdays.

Company: Tiger Electronics
Price: $199.99
Available: Now
Category: Interactive electronics
Battery requirements: 12 Volt NiCd, and 2 "AAA" (Included)