AIBO
AIBO (stylized as aibo, abbreviated as Artificial Intelligence RoBOt, homonymous with aibō (相棒), "pal" or "partner" in Japanese) is a series of robotic dogs designed and manufactured by Sony. Sony announced a prototype Aibo in mid-1998,[1] and the first consumer model was introduced on 11 May 1999.[2] New models were released every year until 2006. Although most models were dogs, other inspirations included lion cubs, huskies, Jack Russell terriers, bull terrier, and space explorers. Only the ERS-7, ERS-110/111 and ERS-1000 versions were explicitly a "robotic dog", but the 210 can also be considered a dog due to its Jack Russell Terrier appearance and face.[3] In 2006, AIBO was added into the Carnegie Mellon University Robot Hall of Fame.[4]
This article is about the robotic pet. For the Japanese television series, see Aibō.Manufacturer
On 26 January 2006 Sony announced that it would discontinue AIBO and several other products in an effort to make the company more profitable.[5] Sony's AIBO customer support was withdrawn gradually, with support for the final ERS-7M3 ending in March 2013.[6]
In July 2014, Sony stopped providing repairs for AIBO products and did not provide customer support or repair for the older AIBO robots.[7]
In November 2017, Sony announced a new generation of AIBO.[8][9] The fourth generation model, ERS-1000, was launched in Japan on 11 January 2018. The second lottery sale was set on 6 February 2018.[10]
Models[edit]
Prototypes[edit]
Several prototypes have been displayed by Sony. Early models were insect-like with six legs. The specifications and design of the 1997 and 1998 prototypes, described in a Sony press release, closely match those of the first generation AIBOs. Differences include the use of PC-Cards for memory (rather than MemoryStick media), the use of two batteries, and the option to use a 2-wheeled "rolling module" in place of legs.[26]
International AIBO Convention[edit]
The International AIBO Convention takes place every year at Sony Robotics Tower in the Shinjuku prefecture of Tokyo, Japan. The first convention took place on 15 May 1999. It was then set to 2–4 May. The 2009 convention, being in its tenth year, set attendance records. The convention usually features AIBO advertisements, free posters, free accessories, freeware/open-source downloads and AIBO demonstrations.
Animation[edit]
The AIBO television series Piroppo (ピロッポ) was a series of animated shorts (approximately 6 minutes each) based around AIBO ERS-300s, Latte and Macaron. The animated series triggered sounds and actions from viewers' ERS-300s in media-link mode on the proper software.[58] The 23-episode series was broadcast on Fuji TV from 11 October 2001, to 21 March 2002.