Brand record
Micro Pet
Micro Pet is a TOMY line of palm-sized electronic animal toys introduced in Japan in 2002. The first release included dogs, cats and bears, each under five centimetres long. Using sound-length recognition, the toys respond to short and long vocal cues with movement and sounds; they can walk, sing and react to one another. TOMY later expanded the line with Micro Pet-i, a version with artificial intelligence, and revived the brand in 2025 with new designs and functions.
- Founded
- 2002
- Countries
- Japan
- Locations
- Tokyo, Japan
- Founders
- Eiichiro Tomiyama
The story of Micro Pet
TOMY introduced Micro Pet in Japan on 20 July 2002. The first release comprised 12 button-cell-powered figures modelled on dogs, cats and bears, each 38–47 millimetres long. Their sound-length recognition system distinguished combinations of short and long sounds, which triggered different actions. The toys could walk, sing and respond to other Micro Pets; an automatic power-off feature was also included. A contemporary review described the compact size, voice response and range of movements, and noted the 12 designs released together.
In July 2009, TOMY introduced Micro Pet-i, a related version with artificial intelligence and four play modes. In 2025, TOMY announced a revival of Micro Pet, describing the original series as having shipped about 10 million units worldwide. The new version was developed jointly by TOMY and Australian toy maker Moose Toys and was scheduled for release in Japan on 27 December 2025.
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