Sony Aibo Specs, Price News: Robot Dog Returns With Artificial Intelligence
Sony has revived its Aibo lineup of robotic dogs with a new model that is powered by artificial intelligence.
Similar to the robot dogs released from 1999 to 2006, the new Aibo serves to bring fun, joy and entertainment to families. Through high-tech components and the latest technology, it will be able to form an emotional bond with members of the household.
"Sony's mission, and reason for existence, is to be a company that piques people's curiosity. I'm convinced that a robot that can connect with a family, and give them a joy, is an embodiment of Sony's mission, and therefore asked for the development of aibo a year and a half ago," said Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai at a press conference in Tokyo last week.
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The newest iteration of Aibo is responsive and can exhibit a wide range of eye, ear and tail movements as well as different sounds. This is made possible by one and two-axis actuators along with 22 axes that allow the robot dog to move naturally. The robot dog is also capable of nuanced expressions through its two organic light-emitting diode (OLED) eyes.
With AI and Sony's deep learning technology, the Aibo is able to express natural curiosity and develop its own personality. It can detect words and associate it with certain actions and remember which actions make its owners happy. The robot dog also eventually learns how to respond to affection and reciprocate this love on its own.
As for the technical specifications, the Sony Aibo is powered by a 64-bit quad-core central processing unit (CPU). It also comes with a speaker, four microphones, two cameras and a wide variety of sensors.
Unfortunately, the new Aibo is currently only sold in Japan with first deliveries beginning in January 2018. It costs 198,000 yen, which is about $1,731. Ownership of the robot dog also includes a three-year subscription plan which can be paid in full for 90,000 yen (about $787) or per month for 2,980 ($26). The subscription covers LTE and cloud access, which are necessary for Aibo to function.
