Sony has announced the "evolution" of its robot canine companion:
Sony Corporation (Sony) is today proud to announce "aibo," the evolution of its autonomous entertainment robot that brings fun and joy to the entire family. aibo can form an emotional bond with members of the household while providing them with love, affection, and the joy of nurturing and raising a companion. It possesses a natural curiosity, and we hope it will bring joy into the everyday lives of our customers while growing alongside them as a partner.
Sony hasn't produced aibo robots for over a decade:
Aibo is a rebooted version of a device Sony (SNE) first launched in the 1990s -- and the Japanese company has made it appealingly un-robotic. Unlike past versions, it has "eyes" (two small screens capable of showing diverse and nuanced expressions), a rounded appearance and a mouth that tilts up in a smile. [...] Sony eventually neutered Aibo production facilities in 2006, leading to an exodus of robotics and AI expertise. Now, with global tech giants and other big companies charging into artificial intelligence, Sony is getting back in the game.
It costs ¥198,000 ($1,733) before tax, but it also requires the purchase of a three-year subscription for 90,000 JPY ($788).
Also at PC Magazine, BBC, Ars Technica, TechCrunch, and IEEE.
(Score: 5, Informative) by MostCynical on Friday November 03 2017, @08:48AM (2 children)
apparently, it requires an always-on connection to Sony's servers to work, and that costs $26 per month, forever..
https://boingboing.net/2017/11/01/party-like-its-2001.html [boingboing.net]
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 2) by LoRdTAW on Friday November 03 2017, @12:53PM (1 child)
Hey, if people are willing to spend money on pet food for the life of the pet I'm sure they can justify spending it on a plastic pet too. Or at least that idea sounded good when they were high off their ass.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 03 2017, @02:59PM
Well, when I get high, the idea of forking over money to a megacorporation every month for the privilege of a toy I've already purchased and supposedly "own" continuing to operate sounds extremely unattractive.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 03 2017, @08:52AM (4 children)
Seems nothing more than a disposable toy gimmick (just like the original)? The idea of a robotic dog has so much potential. Make it extensible, parts replaceable, hackable (as in writing new code for it), open source the code, add various accessories. Maybe collaborate with Boston Dynamics.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Friday November 03 2017, @09:02AM (1 child)
Boston Dynamics is dead:
SoftBank Acquires Boston Dynamics and Schaft From Google [soylentnews.org]
https://www.google.com/search?q=site:soylentnews.org+ethanol-fueled%20boston%20dynamics&cad=h [google.com]
Pick these guys instead:
This Robotics Startup Wants to Be the Boston Dynamics of China [ieee.org]
Chinese knock-off of Boston Dynamics’s Spot robot looks virtually identical [digitaltrends.com]
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by LoRdTAW on Friday November 03 2017, @04:59PM
A victim of Googles ADD.
(Score: 5, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 03 2017, @11:17AM
How soon everyone forgets, Sony has sued Aibo owners in the past for tinkering...
http://grep.law.harvard.edu/articles/02/05/03/1613203.shtml [harvard.edu]
PSA: Fuck Sony.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 03 2017, @04:30PM
After two hours of barking you'll want it to be hackable in the other sense
(Score: 3, Funny) by DannyB on Friday November 03 2017, @01:49PM (2 children)
I always imagined that robot dogs should consume AA batteries in their mouth and drop the exhausted batteries out the other end in a squatting posture.
They could beg for AA batteries. And do tricks.
If we sing a slaying song tonight, what tools will be used for the slaying?
(Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 03 2017, @02:44PM (1 child)
Then maybe, just maybe, the robot dog can sniff around the dropped batteries and put them back in its mouth. To make sure they have no juice left.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Friday November 03 2017, @08:46PM
I don't know that the batteries have any particular odor. Especially different brands. Even if so, is there tech to detect and classify such a battery odor? Then, would it be worth putting such tech into an inexpensive robot dog?
If we sing a slaying song tonight, what tools will be used for the slaying?
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 03 2017, @02:40PM (2 children)
never forget, never forgive
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/sony_rootkit [wikipedia.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 03 2017, @05:15PM (1 child)
You cannot forgive who does not feel regret in the first place.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Friday November 03 2017, @08:48PM
If you can still be pissed off, then you can still ${ forgive | not forgive }. Regardless of the company being a despicably evil sociopath with no regret.
If we sing a slaying song tonight, what tools will be used for the slaying?
(Score: 2) by Snospar on Friday November 03 2017, @05:38PM (2 children)
My wife really wants a dog but I know who will have to deal with the "foul end" of things. If someone came up with an electronic dog that was a close simulation of the real thing I would think about it. It would need to be walkable as that's sort of the point - something to walk with my wife when I'm not available. And this is where this Sony aberration just annoys me, it's not a dog replacement or simulation it's a dog shaped spying toy. I don't want to have an electronic, social media enabled, privacy invading, four legged friend... just a dog without all the crap.
This Furby wannabe can go and spy on someone else.
Huge thanks to all the Soylent volunteers without whom this community (and this post) would not be possible.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Friday November 03 2017, @08:52PM (1 child)
Another factor to consider is vacation. Several times a year you must find someone to care for your (non robot) dog.
With a robot dog, you could just switch it off and leave it home. Or take it with you, as long as hotels, airlines and destinations will permit robot dogs.
If we sing a slaying song tonight, what tools will be used for the slaying?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 03 2017, @09:51PM
Nice problem to have, I'd be happy to just have one per year. Oh hell, I'd just like a job in my field of study that didn't pay peanuts and treat me like a number...