After over a decade off the market, Sony’s robotic dog companion Aibo is making a comeback.
The Aibo reboot uses artificial intelligence to heighten the experience, compared to previous iterations of the device. AI learning, fish-eye cameras and sensor technology allows Aibo to study its surroundings to appear more lifelike. You can also instruct Aibo to take a dogs-eye-view photograph. In its announcement, Sony also revealed Aibo’s new cloud-based data analysis capabilities.
“Aibo’s AI learns from interactions with its owners and develops a unique personality over time.
Further, with its owner’s permission, Aibo can collect data from these interactions, then connect to the cloud and access the knowledge accumulated from interactions between different owners and their Aibo to become even more clever.”
Aibo has two OLED screens for eyes, through which it can create a number of puppy-like expressions (the original didn’t have eyes). It also includes two cameras, four microphones, a ToF sensor, two PSD sensors, pressure-sensitive, capacitive type touch sensors on its back, head and jaw, a six-axis detection system, a motion sensor and a light sensor.
The Aibo device is priced at ¥198,000 ($1,734) and will also require an additional subscription to access cloud features, costing ¥2,980 ($26) per month, or $790 for a three-year subscription up front.
Aibo originally launched in 1999 and was discontinued in 2006. The new and improved Aibo is currently available for pre-order in Japan, to ship for January 11th 2018.
