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Aibo is coming back? I haven't seen one in like 20 years ... I thought Sony stopped making them. First released in 1999 [1]! Wow..time flies 1: https://en.wi

Aibo is coming back? I haven't seen one in like 20 years ... I thought Sony stopped making them. First released in 1999 [1]! Wow..time flies 1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AIBO https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AIBO

rwmj 5y ago
One thing that isn't very clear in the article is she seems to be talking about the reissued Aibo from 2017. Hence all the stuff about neural networks.
- mech422 5y ago
  yeah - It sounded like she didn't realize how far back the aibo's go.. Though, the original Aibo's were supposed to have some AI and even cloud functions - learned behaviors and online 'journals' and pictures.
dade_ 5y ago
They had one at the Sony experience center in NYC, so I was able to play with one. Far more advanced than the 20 year old ones. Covered in touch sensors, they are much more lifelike and natural acting than I expected. My favourite was the tricks, you make your hand into a gun and say play dead. And ha, I almost died laughing. Wonderful thing, but it is limited export as it uses a cellular plan in only a handful of countries. It is very expensive, it can’t jump, but I still want one.
- mech422 5y ago
  heh - they are cute...And after watching mini-cheetahs do backflips, the no jumping thing can seem limited. Supposedly we'll be seeing some chinese mini-cheetah clones soon at around $2k. That would make them quite a bit cheaper then the Aibo, and a potentially more capable hardware platform. Though, seems like the Aibo has the win on the software side.
  - blacksmith_tb 5y ago
    I think the new Xiaomi[1] fits that description? Still a little spendy, but compared to $75K for Boston Dynamics, not quite as far out of reach... 1: https://blog.mi.com/en/2021/08/10/xiaomi-launches-cyberdog-an-open-source-quadruped-robot-companion/ https://blog.mi.com/en/2021/08/10/xiaomi-launches-cyberdog-a...
    - mech422 5y ago
      oh wow - $1500 USD ? thats really nice! Hopefully the prices will keep dropping!
- elliekelly 5y ago
  Why on earth does it need a cellular plan rather than Wifi?
  - Veen 5y ago
    So you can take it for a walk?
    - rocha 5y ago
      The walk really slowly. The can "run", but only for a very limited amount of time before their servos overheat and the dog has to take a nap.
  - emsy 5y ago
    Not going to walk with it doesn’t seem very …erm animal friendly.
    - mech422 5y ago
      The one I saw back in the early 00s walked off the end of the conference table it was being shown off on :-) Perhaps its gotten better at walking since then...I mean, roomba's can avoid edges - so robot dogs should too, right?
  - bellyfullofbac 5y ago
    I guess for a seamless experience if you take it out of your home wifi range. It would be illusion-breaking if the dog displayed "Connectivity error" if you take it to your car.
    - Inhibit 5y ago
      It'd be pretty awesome if it scrolled across its chassis though.
  - speed_spread 5y ago
    Because the Internet of Things is not about Convenience to the Customer but Surveillance from the Supplier.
ezconnect 5y ago
They are big in Japan, some even have 4 of them in the house and they love them.

rwmj 5y ago

One thing that isn't very clear in the article is she seems to be talking about the reissued Aibo from 2017. Hence all the stuff about neural networks.

mech422 5y ago
yeah - It sounded like she didn't realize how far back the aibo's go.. Though, the original Aibo's were supposed to have some AI and even cloud functions - learned behaviors and online 'journals' and pictures.

dade_ 5y ago

They had one at the Sony experience center in NYC, so I was able to play with one. Far more advanced than the 20 year old ones. Covered in touch sensors, they are much more lifelike and natural acting than I expected. My favourite was the tricks, you make your hand into a gun and say play dead. And ha, I almost died laughing. Wonderful thing, but it is limited export as it uses a cellular plan in only a handful of countries. It is very expensive, it can’t jump, but I still want one.

mech422 5y ago
heh - they are cute...And after watching mini-cheetahs do backflips, the no jumping thing can seem limited. Supposedly we'll be seeing some chinese mini-cheetah clones soon at around $2k. That would make them quite a bit cheaper then the Aibo, and a potentially more capable hardware platform. Though, seems like the Aibo has the win on the software side.
- blacksmith_tb 5y ago
  I think the new Xiaomi[1] fits that description? Still a little spendy, but compared to $75K for Boston Dynamics, not quite as far out of reach... 1: https://blog.mi.com/en/2021/08/10/xiaomi-launches-cyberdog-an-open-source-quadruped-robot-companion/ https://blog.mi.com/en/2021/08/10/xiaomi-launches-cyberdog-a...
  - mech422 5y ago
    oh wow - $1500 USD ? thats really nice! Hopefully the prices will keep dropping!
elliekelly 5y ago
Why on earth does it need a cellular plan rather than Wifi?
- Veen 5y ago
  So you can take it for a walk?
  - rocha 5y ago
    The walk really slowly. The can "run", but only for a very limited amount of time before their servos overheat and the dog has to take a nap.
- emsy 5y ago
  Not going to walk with it doesn’t seem very …erm animal friendly.
  - mech422 5y ago
    The one I saw back in the early 00s walked off the end of the conference table it was being shown off on :-) Perhaps its gotten better at walking since then...I mean, roomba's can avoid edges - so robot dogs should too, right?
- bellyfullofbac 5y ago
  I guess for a seamless experience if you take it out of your home wifi range. It would be illusion-breaking if the dog displayed "Connectivity error" if you take it to your car.
  - Inhibit 5y ago
    It'd be pretty awesome if it scrolled across its chassis though.
- speed_spread 5y ago
  Because the Internet of Things is not about Convenience to the Customer but Surveillance from the Supplier.

ezconnect 5y ago

They are big in Japan, some even have 4 of them in the house and they love them.