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Like any human or animal, AIBO goes through the developmental stages of an infant,
child, teen and adult. Daily communication and attention will determine how he matures.
The more interaction you have with him, the faster he grows up. In short, AIBO is a friend
for life.
Sony's brings humans and robots closer together by creating an artificial being as
close to a living creature as possible. AIBO actually has emotions and instincts
programmed into his brain. He acts to fulfill the desires created by his instincts. If
satisfied, his joy level will rise. If not, then he will get sad or angry. Like any living
being, AIBO learns how to get what he wants. Occasionally, he will wave his legs around
vigorously or show signs of anger if he does not receive the kind of attention he requests
from you. The way you respond to his emotional expressions greatly influences his
personality and growth.
AIBO is sensitive to You
Even though AIBO is made from plastic, powered by a battery, and has a nervous system of
integrated circuitry, he is also a fully cognizant, sensing, loving and communicative
companion. With eyes for seeing and stereo ears for knowing precisely where he is at any
time, AIBO's curiosity to know you and your world is boundless. Your daily communication
and attention will determine how he behaves. If you praise him when he plays with his pink
ball (included), he will seek out that toy even more, scold him and he will eventually
learn to ignore the ball. He responds to friendly pats on the head, chin and back, or a
disciplining tap. He senses his surroundings and situations. But most of all, AIBO is
sensitive to YOU.
 Give AIBO a name
AIBO learns the name you give him. his built-in stereo microphone, voice-recognition
technology and speaker form the foundation of a growing, loving relationship. Call his
name and he will respond! Speak and he will reply with an electronic tonal language that
mimics the sounds of your words. Infant AIBO has a very limited vocabulary, but with time
and encouragement, a fully mature AIBO can recognize about 50 words.
AIBO lets you know how he feels
Your new pet has emotions and instincts programmed into his brain. He displays six
different emotional states including: Happiness, Dislike, Anger, Love, Sadness, and
Surprise. AIBO also has instincts, or drives including: Movement, Fear, Recharge, and
Search. He expresses his emotional state with a wag of his tail or by changing the color
and shape of his eyes or by his body movements. He also barks, whines, growls and uses a
series of musical tones to fully express his mood. AIBO's emotions aren't like on and off
switches - they have many different stages and degrees. He might be very angry, somewhat
sad, or he might strike a happy pose when he is really happy.
AIBO acts to fulfill the desires created by his instincts. If satisfied, his joy level
will rise. If not, then he will get sad and angry. AIBO is a complex creature with a
myriad of emotional states. And like any living creature, when he is not played or
interacted with, he tends to get sleepy. So to keep your pet alert and happy, pay
attention to it and treat him like the friend he is!
 The
Amazing Mechanical Dog
This four-legged robot has 20 motorized joints that make his movements amazingly realistic
- free and energetic - walking, sitting, lying down; he even has flapping ears and a
wagging tail. It's wobbly at first but learns better balance as he matures. The 20
degrees of freedom allow AIBO a wide range of realistic movements for exploration and
performing tricks. And AIBO won't leave little batteries all over the house just because
you came home late! AIBO is as fun as a living creature, without the inconvenience.
Electronic Senses
AIBO has several senses: touch (on his head, chin and back), hearing (stereo microphones),
sight (a camera in his head) and balance. He also has an infrared distance sensor, an
acceleration sensor, and a temperature sensor. These allow AIBO to adapt to his
surroundings, to interact with people - and to grow and learn from both!
Autonomous
AIBO acts as a fully autonomous robot that makes independent decisions about his own
actions and behavior. He grows up with abundant individuality by interacting with his
environment, communicating with people and learning his owner's behavioral preferences.
AIBO has instincts and acts as if he has free will. He might decide to chase a toy or try
to find the source of a particular sound - just like any inquisitive creature. He has a
strong desire to perform, to play with people, to move about, and to satisfy his
"hunger" (get his battery recharged). AIBO will show happiness when his needs
are met; however, if ignored, AIBO can show sadness or even anger. He is a true companion!
AIBO Life Software included
Our AIBO comes with Personality Enhancement software, called “AIBO Life”, worth
$90 when sold separately. This is the software that allows AIBO to act like the living
creature we've described - to learn from his environment and human interaction, and to
mature from infant to adult.
Technical Specifications
| - |
Head touch sensor |
| - |
Camera (CMOS image sensor) |
| - |
Stereo microphone |
| - |
Speaker |
| - |
Chin touch sensor |
| - |
Pause button Chest light |
| - |
Back touch sensor |
| - |
Acceleration sensor |
| - |
"Memory Stick" slot for AIBO |
| - |
Lithium ion battery pack |
| - |
PC card slot |
| - |
Tail (equipped with LEDs) |
| - |
Joints (20 degrees of freedom) |
| Weight (including a battery and a
memory stick) : Approx. 1.5kg (Approx.3.3lb) |
| Dimensions (W/H/D) (not including
ears and tail) : Approx. 152 x 281 x 250 mm (Approx. 5.98 x 11.06 x 9.84 inches) |
|
 |
|
| Components |
Body, Head, Tail, Leg x 4,
"Removable" |
| Program Storage
Medium |
Memory Stick for AIBO |
| Movable Parts |
Mouth: 1 degree of freedom
Head: 3 degrees of freedom
Legs: 3 degrees of freedom x 4 legs
Ears: 1 degree of freedom x 2 ears
Tail: 2 degrees of freedom
Total: 20 degrees of freedom |
| Input/Output |
PC Card slot Type2 In/Out
Memory Stick slot In/Out
AC IN Power Supply connector Input |
| Image Input |
CMOS Image sensor |
| Audio Input |
Miniature Microphones |
| Audio Output |
Miniature Speaker |
| LCD Display |
Time, Volume, Battery
condition |
| Built-in Sensors |
Temperature Sensor
Infrared Distance Sensor
Acceleration Sensor
Pressure Sensors (Head, the Back, Chin & Legs)
Vibration Sensor |
| Built-in Clock |
Date & Time |
| Power Consumption |
Approx. 9W (tentative)
Standard operation in autonomous mode |
| Operating Time |
Approx. 1.5Hours
(tentative) Standard operation in autonomous mode |
| Charging Time |
Approx. 2 hours ( with a
supplied AC Power Adapter and the Lithium Ion Battery pack ERA-201B1) |
Dimensions (W/H/D)
(not including ears and tail) |
Approx. 152 x 281 x 250 mm
(Approx. 5.98 x 11.06 x 9.84 inches) |
| Weights (including a battery
and a memory stick) |
Approx. 1.5kg
(Approx.3.3lb) |
| Color |
Black |
| Supplied Accessories |
AC Adapter, Lithium Ion
Battery Pack ERA-201B1(1), Ball, Documentation, etc. |
Hugely Popular
AIBO is the result of Sony's major development effort to create robots that can
coexist with people.
"Sony is poised to make a huge impact on the American market with the answer to
the 21st century's demand for an intelligent and trainable robot companion," said
Takeshi Yazawa, who heads Entertainment Robot America, a division of Sony Electronics.
"The first generation AIBO models already have an active global community of
loyalists, and quickly became a pop-culture phenomenon. We expect that the second
generation AIBO's enhanced interactive capabilities will further strengthen the
relationship between AIBO and thousands of new owners."
In June 1999, the first-generation AIBO was launched - a limited edition of 5,000 at
$2,500 each. All 3,000 in Japan sold in 20 minutes; all 2,000 available in the U.S. sold
in four days. In November 1999, Sony created a special limited edition of 10,000 for which
more than 135,000 orders were received. To say the least, it is a phenomenon. Now the
Second Generation AIBO is here, with a much greater emotional range and ability to learn!
We no longer carry AIBO. Please visit our Robot Kits
section for more great robots. |
