Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Sony Aibo Hacks Increase Functionality

Posted by samzenpus on from the can-it-bring-me-a-beer dept.

Dinglenuts writes "Engadget posted a how-to article on increasing your Aibo's functionality using third party hacks. Given the increasing availability of networked home goods, I'm very interested to see what uses the Slashdot community can conceive for a household controlled through voice commands issued to a robot dog."

14 of 134 comments (clear)

  1. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 4, Funny

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  2. First of all by CPNABEND · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Can you make the thing fetch beer? Or is that lack of thumbs going to be a problem?

    --
    My wife doesn't listen to me either...
    1. Re:First of all by yotto · · Score: 3, Funny

      Lets make a mobile "keg-bot"

      And make the tap a long tube sticking out, and you've got yourself a Dalek! Throw your computer in there and you'd win the local LAN party's case mod contest for sure!

      --
      Pulp Audio Weekly - Geek News and Reviews
    2. Re:First of all by JahToasted · · Score: 5, Funny

      INTOXICATE! INTOXICATE!

  3. Overcoming the narrow scope of original designs by Sv-Manowar · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The opportunity for clever hacks like these through the combination of devices is why things should be left open by their designers during conception, when it's all possible. If this kind of mindset was more widespread, there'd be all kinds of possibilities from discovering what the pure functionality of a device can do. The increasing trend to lock devices down and restrict consumer flexibility with products they choose to purchase (see Xbox boot rom checks etc) is something that's dissapointing, and closing doors on innovative and new uses for everyday devices.

    --
    Business Voyeur
  4. Hack suggestion by Council · · Score: 4, Funny

    Better hack: remove the innards, place a live puppy inside.

    Makes it far more realistic.

    --
    xkcd.com - a webcomic of mathematics, love, and language.
  5. Frickin Lasers by Rii · · Score: 5, Funny

    I just want a robot dog with frickin lasers strapped to his head.

    AIBO! SICK 'EM!

  6. Accelerando and the future of Aibo hacking by metachor · · Score: 3, Interesting

    This reminds me of the continuously hacked/upgraded robot cat, Aineko, in Charles Stross' science fiction novel Accelerando (available for free download).

    It will be interesting to see how complex these customized Aibo become in the next 10-20 years.

  7. Aibo DRM? by Doppler00 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    What? Hacks for a Sony product? This can't be allowed! Sony must at once produce a new firmware update for all Aibos to make sure this dog-like robot only performs Sony approved actions. I mean, what would the world be like if a robotic dog did anything other than dance and perform tricks in ant entertaining fasion?

    We can't have people going around actually writing their own software on hardware they purchased with their own money.

    1. Re:Aibo DRM? by ejtttje · · Score: 3, Interesting

      You know, Sony is supporting development of new software for the AIBO (*) You can create new personalities using high level tools like R-Code, or download their software development kit (for free!) and code in C++. It's an impressive piece of hardware.

      If you're interested in the low level processing, which allows direct processing of the camera images, networking support, real-time control of joints, etc., then of course I'm going to recommend the software framework I'm currently working on: Tekkotsu. However, there are number of other options available as well. (see my prior post)

      Anyway, we'd always like to have more developers -- help show Sony there are advantages to opening their source code!

      (* or at least now they are, originally they didn't like the idea so much, but they seem to have gotten over it somewhat -- hardware is still tightly locked down, but the software interface is pretty available)

  8. I'd kill for this hack by pestilence669 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Aibo needs a guard function for the neighborhood cats. Just bark and move a bit when there's any meowing around. If they pee on my door one more time, I'm gonna' set bear traps.

  9. imagine... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    a beo-woof woof woof of these...

  10. Based on recent events... by coj · · Score: 4, Funny

    "I'm very interested to see what uses the Slashdot community can conceive for a household controlled through voice commands issued to a robot dog."

    Whatever it is, it's gonna involve goatse.cx

  11. Open Source AIBO programs -- no "hacking" required by ejtttje · · Score: 4, Informative

    It's easy to write code for an AIBO... there's a number of open source software frameworks for this great hardware platform -- although of course my favorite would be my own: Tekkotsu

    And it's all supported by Sony -- no hacking required!

    There's a variety of levels you can code at as well -- there's several high-level scripting languages like URBI, R-Code, and even a couple upcoming Python interfaces, as well as a number of low-level C/C++ interfaces (e.g. Tekkotsu) which can run onboard and directly process every bit and byte, or remote control from your PC for maximum horsepower.