Sony unveils Aibo 2.0

Sony has announced that its new-and-improved Aibo robot dog will go on sale in September and pack more smart features, like the ability to learn custom tricks, map and navigate a room with ease and learn up to 100 faces.

It all comes at a hefty cost, however, with a price tag of US$2,899 for a bundle that includes Aibo 2.0, a charging station, paw pads, a pink ball, a toy bone and three years of access to the Aibo cloud app.

Aibo 2.0 is a major step up from the original robotic puppy dog first launched by Sony in 1999. Sony says it fitted Aibo with tons of cameras, touch sensors and microphones to make it more responsive and lifelike. The puppy’s 4,000 parts and 22 actuators allow it to wag its tail, shake your hand, move its ears back and forth and kick a ball, as well as move or blink its eyes thanks to two Sony organic LED displays that can even follow its owner around.

A cloud-connected AI engine enables it to detect and analyze sounds and images, which means it can fully interact with its owner. Aibo 2.0 responds to your touch when you scratch or pet it and can even recognize words of praise and smiles.

Sony’s latest re-imagination of Aibo has also given the robo dog a personality. Using a Wi-Fi connection, Aibo 2.0 uploads all of its day-to-day experiences to the cloud, forming a memory database that enables its unique personality to grow and evolve over time. This makes it so that “no Aibo is the same,” according to the firm. “Aibo keeps on growing and changing, constantly updating its data in the cloud,” Sony explained.

Aibo 2.0 recognizes a number of different commands, such as “sit,” “stay” and “come.” There’s also a “mimic” mode, where owners can teach it new commands using hand movements and placements. Users can tell their Aibo 2.0 to go to the kitchen and it’s able to detect and navigate obstacles, and even figure out the shortest distance to the destination. (SD-Agencies)