Ever since its introduction to the public in 1999, Sony Aibo robot dog has been successful in giving people the pet experience minus the hassle of actually owning one. Created as the Artificial Intelligence Robot, the Aibo robot dog is designed to become the perfect companion.
UPDATES ON THE AIBO ROBOT DOG
20 years later, Sony added features to the Aibo robot dog, such as letting the user design specific features for the dog. Today, the Aibo robot dog can be programmed to potty train using a mapping feature that will let it find its way around the house.
Owners of the Aibo robot dog can also program it to be quiet, and like a real dog, owners of the Aibo robot dog can carry it upright.
Users can now feed the Aibo robot dog by buying "aibocrisps" using virtual coins. However, Sony offers users to purchase coins via the My Aibo app, which will be bought using real money (the Aibo robot dog is now viable for microtransactions).
PERSONALIZE YOUR AIBO ROBOT DOG
With the new update for the Aibo robot dog, users now have the privilege of using a web-based application programming interface (API) to tinker around the Aibo robot dog. This is Sony's way of inviting developers to design services and various applications that can work on the Aibo robot dog. In their introduction video, Sony showed the multiple activities that can be programmed to the Aibo robot dog. For instance, the Aibo robot dog can be used to help in monitoring the microwave while cooking or to turn on a robot vacuum cleaner. It can also be used to remind people if they left the refrigerator open or used as a baby monitor or a surveillance camera for mothers to see their children's activity.
These programs are all made possible by Scratch's drag and drop block coding developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. However, Sony explains that owners cannot change the emotions, character, and mood of the Aibo robot dog.
Although Sony encourages developers to personalize their Aibo robot dogs, some are not comfortable with programming. In an FAQ published by Sony, the company explains: "When you execute the program, Aibo has the freedom to decide which specific behavior to execute depending on his/her psychological state. The API respects Aibo's feeling so that you can enjoy programming while Aibo stays true to himself/herself."
The Aibo robot dog with version 2.50 software is available in the market for $2,900.00.
