If you look up the definition of "Aibo" in a Japanese dictionary, you'll be touched to know it means 'partner' or 'pal'. And what better way to show your love for someone than buying him or her a robotic dog?
For those who have almost $3,000 to spare, this mechanical dog is the next pet you're looking for should you have any allergies to real-life ones.
AIBO (or the Artificial Intelligence Robot), is a series of robotic dogs designed and manufactured by Sony. The first consumer model was introduced on 11 May 1999. New models were released every year until 2006.
The design has taken inspiration from other animals such as lion-cubs, huskies, bull terriers and space explorers over the years.
The Aibo robot is a great success in Japanese territory, especially among the veteran public, since many see it as a replacement for real domestic animals according to Inceptive Mind, a website that celebrates technological innovations.
Check out how the owner's day went with his adorable mechanical dog in the video below.
What Can Your Pal Do
Thanks to modern technology, your mechanical partner continues to learn new tricks and skills to better interact with the owners.
And now, you'll finally be able to see Aibo's warm expression as he greets you on the front door after a tiring day at work thanks to its ability to predict when we come home. How intuitive.
Before Aibo greets you automatically, you have to first teach it where by assigning a certain place in the house then telling the robot "this is where you should go."
Aibo then sniffs the ground in order to memorize the position. If successful, a door icon will appear on the map located within the companion app and you can be sure that Aibo never fails to greet you.
Last November, they released an interesting update that trained the robotic animal to go to the bathroom and also to feed it virtually with cookies, along with the possibility of custom programming.
Aibo may be a robotic dog, but that doesn't mean it can't show love or needs your love. In its home page, Aibo is capable of growth and change as it constantly updates its data in the cloud. Over time, your approach to nurturing your aibo will gradually shape its personality.
It can even learn and recognize faces and eventually fosters a familairity with people over time. When it sees someone who's always nice and friendly, aibo will get close and comfortable.
And yes, it can also conduct patrols. When patrol time rolls around, aibo will play the "Puppy Patrol" melody, head to the target destination, find a "Person of Interest," and show off some adorable moves. Just note that Aibo cannot be used for security purposes.
Aibo is active for only 2 hours before recharging him for 3 hours.
