Aibo available in the U.S.

Aibo ERS-1000. © Sony.

Last November, we celebrated the resurrection of Sony’s dog robot, Aibo, which was killed a dozen years ago. But the new Aibo ERS-1000 was unfortunately only available in Japan at the time. Now, there’s a new development: after selling 20,000 units in Japan, Sony has announced that it will now be selling these puppies in the U.S. At an event at their American headquarters in New York, Sony said that the limited edition will be available to preorder as early as next month, with deliveries slated for the Holidays. The US$2,900 price tag may seem expensive, but it includes accessories like dog toys, as well as other advantages: no need to walk the dog, or buy chow. The new Aibo uses deep learning algorithms to learn its environment; with time and experience, it develops its own personality, which is shaped by its owner. Each puppy’s evolving personality is stored on Sony’s cloud, making it transferable from one unit to another, in case of an unfortunate incident or accident. That’s a bargain for doggy immortality!

⇨ IEEE Spectrum, “Sony’s Aibo robot dog is coming to America.”