On Tuesday, toy company TakaraTomy announced its plans to transform its "Walkie Bits" robotic turtles into character form, making appearances in advertisements or on TV. It was later reported that former Morning Musume member Mari Yaguchi will be part of a new unit, consisting of Yaguchi and 6 of the turtles. Each has its own personality, with names like "Mero Kame" (Melon Turtle) and "Momo Kame" (Peach Turtle), based on the colors of the toys.

The original Walkie Bits toys became wildly popular after their release in June of last year. Over half a million have been sold, and TIME Magazine featured them as one of the best inventions of 2005.