Sony’s Aibo Robotic Dog Has Returned

Some find the concept of a robot dog rubbish, while others clamor for it like it’s one of their own children. Enter the Sony Aibo, an ambitious robotic pet that the company launched in the late 1990s. In Japan, the robot became hugely popular and revered, with older models being kept alive through custom repairs and fixes. Sony officially stopped selling Aibo in 2006, so it’s return is a big deal for it’s fans. And in that 11 years, the Aibo has matured quite a bit, returning as a model that looks very much more like a dog, with technology that’s also quite a bit more advanced.

Sporting OLED eyes, the dog also has ultra-compact actuators that allow its body to move along 22 axes, creating more lifelike movement and expression. The robotic pet uses deep learning technology to sense and adapt to it’s surroundings, kind of like a puppy might do in it’s first few weeks of life. Aibo now connects to the cloud, and actually requires a monthly plan, which we guess is like the equivalent of dog food bills? Either way, it’s a fun gadget that people can interact with, and an impressive advancement of robotics. We can only imagine Sony’s Aibo in the year 2030.  The Aibo will go on sale for $1700.

And speaking of technology, we’ve been chatting with the folks at Positive Health Wellness, and they have a great article about the 8 ways in which technology is improving your health. Take a look!