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Skateboarding AIBO

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the good-thing-i'm-a-cat-person dept.

psyconaut writes "Sony continues it's line of robotic pets with a new accessory: a $249 skateboard! Why on earth you'd actually want your AIBO to zoom around on a skateboard is another question. The U.S. AIBO site has it here, but the thing looks more impressive on the Japanase AIBO site. Other new AIBO products also seem to include, FINALLY, a self charging station so AIBO can feed himself."

4 of 165 comments (clear)

  1. Who actually has an AIBO? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Does anyone actually know anyone that has an AIBO? Just curious :)

  2. The Software... by LamerBunny · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Well... though these things fail to catch my attention just as much as 3d-screens do, I did some reading up on it... and... well - it seems to me there are a couple of things wrong with the whole concept (besides it being completely stupid ;).

    First of, I am simply unable to see who the buyers are... Is it just me, or do "real" geeks look down on this stuff? Then who's left? Tech-geeks? Probably kids with (too) rich parents... which leads me to the second thing I don't get: THE PRICE OF THE GODDAMN SOFTWARE!

    It seems, that you can modify your small doggish robot with some software... but the price is $ 449.00(!!) This puts it out of reach of most kids, as they wont be able to utilize it anyway. Maybe at a tenth of the price, the kids who get the robot in the first place can convince their parents to buy the software as well...

    Hmm... anyone working on a open source program to replace the Sony stuff? ;)

    Ohh... and another thing: Sony should be ashamed of themselves for claiming that this is an example of AI! Really... the most advanced models (with the CPU clock speed of 384MHz) have only 75 responses. If it were to approach any kind of true AI, it seems to me that it would at the very least have to have a learning-routine and some storage (besides the 16 MB that can be used for stuff like storing snapshots... :| ).

    /me waves a finger at Sony (NO, not the indecent one). "Shame on you Sony!"

  3. A close cousin by rnd() · · Score: 3, Interesting

    A close cousin of the skateboarding Aibo can be found here.

    --

    Amazing magic tricks

  4. Re:What is it with the Japanese and robots? by mikerich · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Seriously, why are the Japanese so obsessed with robots? Whenever there's a new robot toy that has no real practical purpose whatsoever, it's usually the Japanese who come up with it. Why?

    Partly its a demonstration of technical supremacy by Japanese companies. Whatever else, AIBO is an amazing technological achievement and Sony want the World to know. Here in the UK, AIBO is heading a large Sony advertising campaign for everything from WEGA, to in-car-stereo to digital cameras.

    Another part is that many Japanese cannot have pets - either because of rules in apartments, or that they simply work so long that they cannot care for animals. AIBO fulfills the need for companionship perfectly. He plays when you want to play, he goes to sleep at the touch of a button.

    Finally, it seems that the Japanese have a much more ready acceptance of robots as being colleagues, pets or friends. They are willing to welcome them into society, whereas we in the West have been traditionally far more fearful of the implications of such technologies.

    Mind you, when I've taken my AIBOs out on University outreach days, its been hard to contain the crush of people wanting to meet the robots - and not just children, adults of all ages are fascinated by them. Dogs and cats on the other hand are much less impressed.

    Best wishes,
    Mike.