With the help of artificial intelligence, Aibo takes photos, can learn new tricks and develops its own personality ● Man's new best friend?
They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks. This is probably true for flesh and blood dogs. On the other hand, Sony's new puppy-like robot can learn new tricks - thanks to its brain, which is based on artificial intelligence. The company says it can also alleviate the feeling of loneliness.
This is a modern version of the robotic dog that Sony developed in 1999 and discontinued its production shortly after. Since then, the robot dog, named Aibo, has learned new tricks: thus, the new model responds to its owner's voice and caresses, can play with dog toys, mainly bone-like ones, and blinks its eyes. Sony put effort into the animation to give it the qualities of a living dog, even though it is clearly a robot.
Aibo is designed to serve as a companion for the elderly, sick and autistic children, but also as an expensive toy. The CEO of Sony, Kaz Hirai, presented it at the CES 2018 conference, which was held not long ago. He noted that Ivo is a learning robot, whose owners can teach it new tricks through an app. In the same application, they will also be able to view the photos he took - in any case, he is equipped with sensors and cameras to map the rooms of the house. According to him, Aibo is a prototype for the use of artificial intelligence that will be found in every consumer product that the company will produce in the future.
Another of Aibo's qualities: he can code a bow, according to the best of Japanese culture, remember which actions make his owner happy, recognize praise showered on him and he even smiles. Aibo also analyzes sounds. The artificial intelligence on which it is based allows it to develop a unique personality for each robot, so no two Aibos will be the same after they leave the store.
The new robot dog went on sale in Japan for the equivalent of $1,700 and an annual maintenance cost of $175, including repairs. It has a SIM slot, memory cards and occasionally needs charging for two hours.
"Artificial intelligence and robotics - areas that have the potential to improve life"
Hirai explained that "for the past two years, Sony has been focusing on artificial intelligence and robotics. These are areas that have the potential to improve and enrich our life experiences, through AI systems that will integrate into our daily lives. Strengthening our knowledge in mechanical engineering and electronics helps us realize our ability in a differentiated product."
He added that "in 1999, when we unveiled the home entertainment robot, the challenge was great, because the field of robotics was just beginning to emerge. We realized that we needed to combine artificial intelligence and robotics to reach the potential to create some interactions and reward the robot for success. The ideas were elusive and futuristic, but we had the expertise and passion to make Sony products relevant."
"Since then, we have developed artificial intelligence-based technologies that are found in all our products that go on the market, such as digital imaging products and televisions. Our goal is to introduce new products that make the ordinary extraordinary. We want to take advantage of AI and robotics to improve the personal experience, communication, assistance, comfort and accessibility for everyone (Sony could have done more in this regard, because the price of each such robot is $1,700 - AB)," noted Hirai.
"The friend of the family"
"The new robot will be the friend of the family," he added. "He will be able to identify every member of the family. He will have to be treated like any family member on two or four. Aibo was designed so that his eyeballs rotate to express emotions with his owner. The eyeball will also be connected to the cloud via the wireless network, and will share the knowledge it will accumulate for the purpose of analyzing and improving the end robot's capabilities."
But, according to Hirai, apart from Aibo being a charming companion, it is a technological achievement. "For the first time, it is possible to develop technology that will arouse emotions and involvement," he said. He noted that "Aibu is just the beginning. Try to think about the possibilities and challenges that can be faced with the help of AIBO and thanks to its artificial intelligence in hospitals, nursing homes and schools."
