Bandai, the creators of the infamous Tamagotchi virtual pet, recently released a new gadget called SmartPet - an accessory that allows users to transform their smartphones into little robotic pets.

SmartPet is sold alongside an application which makes it possible for users to interact with their pets through a variety of touchscreen gestures and voice commands. Under current software, pets are capable of responding to their users with up to 100 different facial expressions. They can sing, dance, and even play several games.

As pets grow more and more attached to their users, they will gain the ability to learn more gestures, and to interact with other pups via Bluetooth --kind of like Furbies did, except somewhat cooler and more high-tech.

The accessory is scheduled to hit Japanese stores on April 24th, but it's currently available for pre-order via Amazon Japan. Several different models are available and prices range from about $75 to $95. 

Videos after the jump!

[Via kirainet]