Sony brings back its AI-infused robot dog project

Pets can be great friends for humans. But in today's tense life pets cannot get the love and attention they deserve. But what if a pet does not require any human help ever. Maybe that is why Sony is bringing back it's pet project AIBO(model number ERS-1000) which was dead for more than a decade.

AIBO is billed as a pet that behaves like a real dog using artificial intelligence (AI) to learn and interact with its owner and surroundings. The upgrade sees AIBO equipped with new sensing and movement technologies as well as far more advanced AI backed by cloud computing to develop the dog's personality.

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 an organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays making it capable of diverse expressions. Sony said it is aiming to sell as many AIBO as the original one.

There’s an app called My Aibo that is used to access settings, view photos that were taken from the dog’s camera, and download additional “tricks” from a store. AIBO also now requires a subscription, like SoftBank’s Pepper, running 2,980 yen a month (about $26) for a minimum of three years. This gives you Wi-Fi and LTE connectivity, cloud backup, and access to the app’s features.

The new AIBO is available to pre-order in Japan today and will go on sale on January 11th, 2018. There aren't any plans yet to release it outside of Sony's homeland. It costs 198,000 yen, or about $1,700.