A
smart toy is a
toy which effectively has its own intelligence by virtue of on-board electronics. These enable it to learn, behave according to pattern, and alter its actions depending upon environmental stimuli. Typically, it can adjust to the abilities of the player. A modern smart toy has electronics consisting of one or more
microprocessors or
microcontrollers,
volatile and/or
non-volatile memory,
storage devices, and various forms of
input - output devices. It may be
networked together with other smart toys or a
personal computer in order to enhance its
play value or educational features. Generally, the smart toy may be controlled by
software which is embedded in
firmware or else loaded from an input device such as a
USB flash drive,
memory Stick or
CD-ROM. Smart toys frequently have extensive
multimedia capabilities, and these can be utilized to produce a realistic, animated, simulated personality for the toy. Some commercial examples of smart toys are
Amazing Amanda,
Furby,
iDog, and
AIBO.