Sony unveils ‘first litter edition’ version of its Aibo robot dog

Sony’s new-and-improved Aibo robot dog is finally coming to the US.

The Japanese tech giant said Thursday a special ‘First Litter Edition’ will go on sale in September and packs more smarts than previous iterations, like the ability to learn custom tricks, map and navigate a room with ease and learn up to 100 faces. 

It all comes at a hefty cost, however, with a price tag of $2,899 for a bundle that includes Aibo, a charging station, paw pads, a pink ball, an ‘aibone’ and three years of access to the Aibo cloud app. 

Sony’s new-and-improved Aibo robot dog is finally coming to the US. The tech giant said a special ‘First Litter Edition’ will go on sale in September for the hefty price tag of $2,899

THE NEW AIBO

Aibo is billed as a pet that behaves like a puppy using artificial intelligence (AI) to learn and interact with its owner and surroundings. 

The reborn Aibo features new actuator technology allowing it move more smoothly and naturally like a real dog.

With sensing and AI technologies, Aibo can run toward its owner and detect smiles and words of praise, and can remember what actions please the owner.

Its eyes are made of organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays making it capable of diverse expressions.

The robot comes with an array of sensors, cameras and microphones and boasts internet connectivity, allowing owners to play with the pet remotely via smartphone. 

Aibo 2.0 is a major step up from the original robotic puppy dog first launched by Sony back in 1999. 

Sony says it fitted Aibo with tons of cameras, touch sensors and microphones to make it more responsive and lifelike. The puppy’s 4,000 parts and 22 actuators allow it to wag its tail, shake your hand, move its ears back and forth and kick a ball, as well as move or blink its eyes thanks to two Sony organic LED displays that can even follow its owner around.

A cloud-connected AI engine enables it to detect and analyze sounds and images, which means it can more fully interact with its owner. 

Aibo responds to your touch when you scratch or pet it and can even recognize words of praise and smiles.    

Sony’s latest re-imagination of Aibo has also given the robo dog a personality. 

Using a Wifi connection, Aibo uploads all of its day-to-day experiences to the cloud, forming a memory database that enables its unique personality to grow and evolve over time. 

This makes it so that ‘no Aibo is the same,’ according to the firm. 

‘Aibo keeps on growing and changing, constantly updating its data in the cloud,’ Sony explained. 

‘Over time, your approach to nurturing Aibo will gradually shape its personality – it could be a doting partner, a wild, fun-loving companion, or anywhere in between.

‘It’ll even learn new tricks through interactions with other Aibo, experiences with changing seasons and different events,’ the company added. 

Aibo recognizes a number of different commands, such as ‘sit,’ ‘stay,’ and ‘come.’ There’s also a ‘mimic’ mode, where owners can teach it new commands using hand movements and placements.

A cloud-connected AI engine enables it to detect sounds and images, which means it can more fully interact with its owner. Its 22 actuators make it move in a more natural way

A cloud-connected AI engine enables it to detect sounds and images, which means it can more fully interact with its owner. Its 22 actuators make it move in a more natural way

Aibo recognizes a number of different commands, like 'sit,' 'stay,' and 'come.' 'Mimic' mode lets owners can teach it new commands using hand movements and placements

Aibo recognizes a number of different commands, like ‘sit,’ ‘stay,’ and ‘come.’ ‘Mimic’ mode lets owners can teach it new commands using hand movements and placements

It can be controlled by voice command or through the Aibo app and Sony encourages users to talk to it, tell it where to go and even personalize its eye color and gender. 

Users can tell their Aibo to ‘go to the kitchen’ and it’s able to detect and navigate obstacles, and even figure out the shortest distance to the destination.

‘You’ll be amazed at what your Aibo can do, but it can’t do everything by itself – for some tricks to work, you’ll need to interact with your Aibo or help it out a bit,’ the company explained. 

‘Team up, tackle new tricks together, and watch your Aibo grow.’ 

Aibo can be controlled by voice command or through the Aibo app and Sony encourages users to talk to it, tell it where to go and even personalize its eye color and gender

Aibo can be controlled by voice command or through the Aibo app and Sony encourages users to talk to it, tell it where to go and even personalize its eye color and gender

Users can tell their Aibo to 'go to the kitchen' and it's able to detect and navigate obstacles, and even figure out the shortest distance to the destination

Users can tell their Aibo to ‘go to the kitchen’ and it’s able to detect and navigate obstacles, and even figure out the shortest distance to the destination

For $2,899, consumers get a bundle that includes Aibo, a charging station, paw pads, a pink ball, an ‘aibone’ and three years of access to the Aibo cloud app

Sony released the new version of Aibo in Japan back in January and says it has already sold 20,000 units since then. 

Japanese consumers can pick up an Aibo without a cloud plan and also at a discount – the new dog is priced at $1,760 there. 

However, the company admits that Aibo isn’t necessarily meant to be for the average consumer.

Early adopters and robot enthusiasts are more likely to be open to paying nearly $3,000 for the next-generation robot dog. 

‘We believe the price we’re launching at is a great value, when you look at all things included,’ Sony Electronics president and COO Mike Fasulo told Engadget. 

Sony released the new Aibo in Japan back in January and says it has already sold 20,000 units since then. The company admits that it isn't meant to be for the average consumer

Sony released the new Aibo in Japan back in January and says it has already sold 20,000 units since then. The company admits that it isn’t meant to be for the average consumer

‘We’re talking about the future, with AI and learning…it just gets better as the days and weeks go.’   

Sony initially discontinued the original Aibo in 2006 due to financial troubles at the firm. 

But Aibo diehards continued to purchase older models and even spend hundreds of dollars on maintenance costs. 

Now, Sony is putting its AI expertise to work with the new Aibo and is hoping consumers will be drawn to the ‘one-of-a-kind’ product. 

‘Aibo’s charming personality, dog-like behaviors and ability to intelligently interact with family members help to create a personal bond,’ Fasulo said in a statement. 

‘Bringing aibo back to the U.S. reflects Sony’s broader commitment to provide consumers with products that not only entertain them, but also enrich their lives.’

THE ORIGINAL AIBO

Sony launched its artificial intelligence based robotic dog named Aibo in 1999. 

The robot’s personality was shaped by its interactions with its owner and surroundings. 

The initial ERS-110 Aibo model hardware included a 64-bit RISC processor, 16 megabytes of RAM, sensors (touch, camera, range-finder, microphone, acceleration, angular velocity), a speaker and actuators (legs, neck, mouth, tail). 

Sony launched its artificial intelligence based robotic dog named Aibo (pictured) in 1999. The robot's personality was shaped by its interactions with its owner and surroundings

Sony launched its artificial intelligence based robotic dog named Aibo (pictured) in 1999. The robot’s personality was shaped by its interactions with its owner and surroundings

As the series developed, more sensors and actuators were added. 

Wi-Fi was available as an add on for some second-generation AIBOs. 

The third and final family of AIBOs, the ERS-7s, had multiple head and body sensors, clicking ear actuators, a chest-mounted proximity sensor, expressive ‘Illume-Face’ and Wi-Fi.

The robo-dogs were discontinued in 2006 after increased competition in the Asian markets led to massive cost cutting.

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