Sony’s Aibo Robot Dog returns with advanced AI – QualityPoint Technologies News

Sony is bringing back its iconic robotic Dog Aibo. The new Aibo is powered by artificial intelligence and can bark, wag its tail, chase pink balls and learn new tricks like giving its owner a high five.

Initial version of AIBO robot was released by Sony in 1999 i-e around 18 years back, and it was discontinued in the year 2006.

The new Aibo Robot Dog can form an emotional bond with members of the household while providing them with love, affection, and the joy of nurturing and raising a companion.

You can pre-order the new aibo through the Sony Store, and it will be released in January 2018.

The price of this new robot dog is bit high. The Aibo robot ERS-1000 itself is priced at more than $1.7K, but you also need a subscription plan to connect to the cloud service that powers Aibo’s AI.

A basic three-year subscription plan costs $26 per month.

Primary Features

1. Irresistible Cuteness, Rich Expressiveness, and Dynamic Range of Movements

Its cute, rounded appearance makes you want to reach out and pet it, while its seamless design is captivating and brimming with life.

aibo shows its love for its owners through lifelike expressions and a dynamic array of movements. Its body language is expressed through a combination of eye, ear, and tail movements as well as different voice sounds. This lovable behavior brings warmth and delight to the everyday lives of its owners.

In order to bring aibo to life and allow it to express its emotions, Sony developed ultracompact 1- and 2-axis actuators. These give aibo’s compact body the freedom to move along a total of 22 axes and make its smooth, natural movements possible. Furthermore, its eyes utilize two OLEDs to allow for diverse, nuanced expressions.

2. The Ability to Bond with its Owners, Leading to Constant Fun and Discovery.

Not content with merely waiting around to be called, curious little aibo will actively seek out its owners. What’s more, aibo can detect words of praise, smiles, head and back scratches, petting, and more, allowing it to learn and remember what actions make its owners happy. Slowly but surely, aibo will also become more aware of its environment, and as it gains confidence it will learn to walk around an increasingly wider area and respond to situations accordingly.

This adaptable behavior is made possible through Sony’s well-cultivated deep learning technology, in the form of inbuilt sensors that can detect and analyze sounds and images. aibo also comes with fish-eye cameras that utilize simultaneous location and mapping (SLAM) technology, allowing it to lead its life in close conjunction with its owners.

3. Changes Over Time, Maturing and Growing into a One-of-a-kind Companion

As it interacts with people over time, aibo’s behavior slowly changes and adapts in response to its unique environment. It eventually becomes able to respond to its owners’ affection in kind, and when it feels loved, it will display even more love and affection in return, nurturing a bond that only deepens as time goes on.

These perpetual changes are brought about through Sony’s unique AI technology, which allows aibo to interface with the cloud. aibo’s AI learns from interactions with its owners and develops a unique personality over time. Further, with its owners’ permission, aibo can collect data from these interactions, then connect to the cloud and access the knowledge accumulated from interactions between different owners and their aibo to become even more clever.

aibo Basic Plan

An aibo Basic Plan subscription is necessary to utilize aibo. By subscribing to the aibo Basic Plan, you can use a Wi-Fi connection at home or a mobile connection on the go to enjoy the full arrange of aibo features. These include aibo being able to access information stored in the cloud to grow and learn as well as the “My aibo” app (aibo Photos, aibo Store). Additionally, your aibo’s data will periodically be backed up in the cloud. A planned future service will allow owners to restore this backed up data onto a new aibo even in the event of an accident resulting in irreparable damage.

aibo Support Care

Sony is also providing aibo Support Care, which offers discounts on repair fees in the event of damage or malfunctions. Subscription to this service is optional.

50% discount on repair fees (incl. examination fees, part replacements, and exchanging of broken or depleted components).
50% discount on checkups and inspections

* All above fees do not include shipping or taxes

Pre-orders and Availability

aibo will be available for purchase exclusively through the Sony Store, Sony’s direct retailer.
Pre-orders will be available starting from 11:01 P.M. on Wednesday, November 1, 2017 through the Sony Store website(Some parts of website only accessible in Japanese, pre-order numbers are limited).
More information about aibo will be made available through http://aibo.com/en and Sony Store Online.

News Source: https://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/News/Press/201711/17-105E/index.html