The very idea of a robot pet had seemed futuristic and bizarre in But seven years later, the market was flooded with alternatives and the concept had gained mainstream attention. Exactly as the scientists at CSL had hoped, the AIBO project had become the proving ground for a generation of technology and it had been accepted by the mass market.
Perhaps the best indication of this was the strong attachments people formed to their robotic pets. It reacted to its owner, it developed a personality of its own, and it became a real companion for many people.
So many people were so strongly attached to their AIBO pets that, when the batteries failed or the product broke, the owners held mock funerals for their robotic dogs. In Japan especially, hundreds of people staged traditional Buddhist burials for their pets.
As you might expect, Toshitada Doi was ahead of the curve once again. Doi held one of the very first AIBO funerals shortly after the cancellation of the project and Sony employees attended to pay their respects. Even if the project had died, the community of AIBO lovers lived on.
Owners gathered online, sharing pictures, videos, and stories about their robot dogs. But there are still AIBO units who had endured to this day, even if their numbers are slowly waning. The name AIBO is now synonymous with robotic dogs in the same way that a xerox is the default name for a photocopier or a biro is a typical pen.
Just as Doi and Fujita predicated, their invention helped to normalize many aspects of AI across the world. What once seemed futuristic is now almost kitsch. Indeed, the influence of the AIBO can be seen in many mainstream cultural products from the time after release. Many of these appearances might have poked fun at the concept of a robotic dog, but they helped to acquaint the technology with audiences around the world.
Academics were similarly enchanted by the notion of a robot dog and what it meant for society as a whole. They found that the residents were reluctant to conceive of the robots as replacements for real dogs, to the point of animosity. Perhaps the older generations were too far removed from the cultural zeitgeist Doi was trying to capture. The team found that owners were able to project emotional states onto their robotic pets — they truly saw happiness and sadness, while forming legitimate social bonds with their pets, just as they might do with an actual dog.
There was a perpetual acknowledgement of the one-sidedness of this relationship, however, as the owners were well-aware of the fact that the AIBO remained an item of consumer tech, rather than a real pet. In both cases, AIBOs eventually faltered when compared to real dogs.
But the kindling of emotional bonds between owners and their tech products was a real leap forward for Doi. No longer were Sony selling people Walkmans and appliances. The AIBO was something consumers could truly love. Occasionally, he will wave his legs around vigorously or show signs of anger if he does not receive the kind of attention he requests from you.
The way you respond to his emotional expressions greatly influences his personality and growth. AIBO is sensitive to You Even though AIBO is made from plastic, powered by a battery, and has a nervous system of integrated circuitry, he is also a fully cognizant, sensing, loving and communicative companion.
With eyes for seeing and stereo ears for knowing precisely where he is at any time, AIBO's curiosity to know you and your world is boundless. Your daily communication and attention will determine how he behaves. If you praise him when he plays with his pink ball included , he will seek out that toy even more, scold him and he will eventually learn to ignore the ball. He responds to friendly pats on the head, chin and back, or a disciplining tap.
He senses his surroundings and situations. Call his name and he will respond! Speak and he will reply with an electronic tonal language that mimics the sounds of your words. AIBO lets you know how he feels Your new pet has emotions and instincts programmed into his brain. He expresses his emotional state with a wag of his tail or by changing the color and shape of his eyes or by his body movements. He also barks, whines, growls and uses a series of musical tones to fully express his mood.
AIBO's emotions aren't like on and off switches - they have many different stages and degrees. He might be very angry, somewhat sad, or he might strike a happy pose when he is really happy. AIBO acts to fulfill the desires created by his instincts. If not, then he will get sad and angry. AIBO is a complex creature with a myriad of emotional states. And like any living creature, when he is not played or interacted with, he tends to get sleepy.
So to keep your pet alert and happy, pay attention to it and treat him like the friend he is! The Amazing Mechanical Dog This four-legged robot has 20 motorized joints that make his movements amazingly realistic - free and energetic - walking, sitting, lying down; he even has flapping ears and a wagging tail. It's wobbly at first but learns better balance as he matures. Video: Gota More Aibo soccer.
Video: TioGuerra Ratings How do you like this robot? Rate this robot's appearance Creepy. Second-generation models were released in , , and Third generation models arrived in late , and the ERS-7M3 model, released in , was the latest. The first International Aibo Convention took place in Tokyo in and continued for several years. The company would eventually sell more than , units until it decided to discontinue the robot in amid protests from Aibo fans.
Many online communities for Aibo enthusiasts are still active today, and some versions of the robot now sell on eBay for thousands of dollars. Home Robots News Play Learn search. A not-for-profit organization, IEEE is the world's largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity.
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