Sony’s Aibo reminds us robot dogs are real
The robot dog has seen many iterations through the past two decades, but none are as iconic as Sony’s Aibo, which launched in 1999. The name stands for Artificial Intelligence Robot, and it was programmed to learn as it goes, helping contribute to its lifelike interactivity. Despite the $2,000 initial price tag, Sony managed to sell well over 150,000 units by 2015, when we reported on the funerals the owners of out-of-commission Aibo were having overseas.
Over the years, it became a blueprint for how a gadget company could manufacture a somewhat successful artificial companion–it certainly seems like a success on the outside, even if virtual pets could never fully replace the real things. The New York Times documentary, called Robotica, perfectly encapsulates the kind of bond people had with their Aibo dogs, which might have been why the company decided to resurrect it in 2017.
