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.
Primary Features
1. Irresistible Cuteness, Rich Expressiveness, and Dynamic Range of Movements
Its cute, rounded appearance makes you want to reach out and pet it, while its seamless design is captivating and brimming with life.
aibo shows its love for its owners through lifelike expressions and a dynamic array of movements. Its body language is expressed through a combination of eye, ear, and tail movements as well as different voice sounds. This lovable behavior brings warmth and delight to the everyday lives of its owners.
In order to bring aibo to life and allow it to express its emotions, Sony developed ultracompact 1- and 2-axis actuators. These give aibo’s compact body the freedom to move along a total of 22 axes and make its smooth, natural movements possible. Furthermore, its eyes utilize two OLEDs to allow for diverse, nuanced expressions.
2. The Ability to Bond with its Owners, Leading to Constant Fun and Discovery.
Not content with merely waiting around to be called, curious little aibo will actively seek out its owners. What’s more, aibo can detect words of praise, smiles, head and back scratches, petting, and more, allowing it to learn and remember what actions make its owners happy. Slowly but surely, aibo will also become more aware of its environment, and as it gains confidence it will learn to walk around an increasingly wider area and respond to situations accordingly.
This adaptable behavior is made possible through Sony’s well-cultivated deep learning technology, in the form of inbuilt sensors that can detect and analyze sounds and images. aibo also comes with fish-eye cameras that utilize simultaneous location and mapping (SLAM) technology, allowing it to lead its life in close conjunction with its owners.
3. Changes Over Time, Maturing and Growing into a One-of-a-kind Companion
As it interacts with people over time, aibo’s behavior slowly changes and adapts in response to its unique environment. It eventually becomes able to respond to its owners’ affection in kind, and when it feels loved, it will display even more love and affection in return, nurturing a bond that only deepens as time goes on.
These perpetual changes are brought about through Sony’s unique AI technology, which allows aibo to interface with the cloud. aibo’s AI learns from interactions with its owners and develops a unique personality over time. Further, with its owners’ permission, aibo can collect data from these interactions, then connect to the cloud and access the knowledge accumulated from interactions between different owners and their aibo to become even more clever.
Related Services and Accessories
“My aibo” App* *Service scheduled to start from January 11, 2018
“My aibo” is an app designed to help owners enjoy life with their aibo by providing support and convenience. In addition to accessing system settings and owner information, other features include “aibo Photos,” which lets users view any pictures taken, a feature to “Play” with a virtual aibo inside the app, and the “aibo Store,” where users can add additional Tricks to their aibo. Some of these features are also accessible to users who do not own an aibo.
- *1: “My aibo” can be downloaded from Google Play and the App Store. A web browser version is also available at http://aibo.com
- *2: aibo and “aibo basic plan” subscription required to fully enjoy all features of “My aibo.”
aibo exclusive accessory “aibone”* *Release scheduled for January 11, 2018
Model Number ERA-1020 Sony Store price (tax not included): 2,980 yen (tentative)
A bone-shaped toy accessory that spices up your life with aibo.
aibo Basic Plan
An aibo Basic Plan subscription is necessary to utilize aibo. By subscribing to the aibo Basic Plan, you can use a Wi-Fi connection at home or a mobile connection on the go to enjoy the full arrange of aibo features. These include aibo being able to access information stored in the cloud to grow and learn as well as the “My aibo” app (aibo Photos, aibo Store). Additionally, your aibo’s data will periodically be backed up in the cloud. A planned future service will allow owners to restore this backed up data onto a new aibo even in the event of an accident resulting in irreparable damage.
aibo Support Care
Sony is also providing aibo Support Care, which offers discounts on repair fees in the event of damage or malfunctions. Subscription to this service is optional.
- 50% discount on repair fees (incl. examination fees, part replacements, and exchanging of broken or depleted components).
- 50% discount on checkups and inspections
- * All above fees do not include shipping or taxes
Pre-orders and Availability
- aibo will be available for purchase exclusively through the Sony Store, Sony’s direct retailer.
- Pre-orders will be available starting from 11:01 P.M. on Wednesday, November 1, 2017 through the Sony Store website(Some parts of website only accessible in Japanese, pre-order numbers are limited).
- More information about aibo will be made available through http://aibo.com/en and Sony Store Online.
| Product/Service | Sony Store Price (tax not included) | Release Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| aibo Entertainment Robot (ERS-1000) | 198,000 JPY | January 11, 2018 | |
| aibo Basic Plan 3 Year Subscription | One-time Price | Monthly Plan | |
| 90,000 JPY (approx. 2,500/month) | 2,980 JPY/month (x 36 months) | ||
| aibo Support Care | 3 years | 1 year | |
| 54,000 JPY (1,500 JPY/month) | 20,000 JPY (1,667 JPY/month) | ||
* As of the time of this release, product launch is only scheduled for Japan.
Product Details
Note: Information is current as of the day of the announcement. Please note that product and service details are subject to change without notice.
| Product Name | aibo |
|---|---|
| Color | Ivory White |
| Model Number | ERS-1000 |
| Processor | 64bit Quad-Core CPU |
| Freely Movable Parts | Head:3 axes、Mouth:1 axis、Neck:1 axis、Loin:1 axis、 Forepaws/Back paws:3 axes per leg、Ear:1 axis per ear、 Tail:2 axes (Total of 22 axes) |
| Display | 2 OLEDs (eyes) |
| Sound | Speaker, 4 Microphones |
| Camera | 2 Cameras(Front camera, SLAM camera) |
| Sensors | ToF sensor、2 PSD sensors、 Pressure sensitive/capacitive type touch sensor(Back sensor)、 Capacitive type touch sensor(Head sensor, jaw sensor) 6 axis detection system(3 axis gyro/3 axis acceleration)×2 (Head、Torso) Motion sensor, Light sensor, 4 Paw pads |
| Switches | Power button, Volume button, Network switch |
| Indicators | Status LED, Network LED |
| Terminals | Charging pins, SIM card slot |
| Communications | Mobile Network Communication Function(Data transmission):LTE Wi-Fi:IEEE 802.11b/g/n |
| Outside dimensions | Approx. 180 × 293 × 305 mm ((While standing: width×height×depth *Not including protruding parts) |
| Weight | Approx. 2.2 kg |
| Power Consumption | Approx. 14 W |
| Battery Duration | Approx. 2 hours |
| Recharge Time | Approx. 3 hours |
| Main Accesories | Charging Station (Charging stand, Charging mat)、AC adapter, Power cord, Pink ball, SIM card, Printed Materials |
Please visit the product website http://aibo.com/en for more details.
- *1: “aibo” and “
” are trademarks of Sony Corporation. - *2: All other listed companies and product names are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
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