Robotic Dogs

Brian Daniels sent us a link to a crazy looking Sony Robotic Dog. It doesn't have a price listed, but I'm willing to bet you won't have to clean up after it. Its supposed to be configurable, expandable, and fairly programmable. And its cute too.

Comments

This isn't a dog

[Anonymous Coward]

Why would anybody waste time giving affection to a machine? This is merely a collection of algorithms and software to simulate a pet, it simply isn't the same thing. I think it will be a sad world when enough is understood about psychology that we will be able to simulate everthing and do nothing. This is a step in that direction in my opinion.

It's a machine. It will never be happy to see you, it will never feel "good" or enjoy "praise", it will just go through the algorithms that makes you think it did. Buy a toaster, it would be cheaper and just as affectionate.

top 10 experiments to conduct on Sony Dog

[Roundeye]

For the marketing representatives of Sony reading
this list I am officially making a proposal for
experimentation with this groundbreaking AI
technology and will require eleven (11) Sony(tm)
Dogs(tm) in order to conduct the following
important experiments:

10 - "Identity Crisis" - one week of acclimation
training to dog's given name "Rambo" with
establishment of "his territory", "his chores",
and "his spiked collar". After week one dog
will be referred to by the name "Prissy", shown
"her pink bow", and reprimanded on "violations of
Rambo's territory." "Rambo is a good dog. Prissy
is a bad dog." Prissy will have no "territory".
Rambo's emminent angry return will be prophecied
more and more frequently.

9 - "Navigation" - Dog will be told that my
apartment is "it's wonderful home." Dog will
be taken to the sidewalk and will be told to
"come home!". On the next day dog will be taken
to the end of the block and told to "come home!".
On the third day Dog will be taken to the edge
of the neighborhood and be told to "come home!".
On the fourth day Dog will be placed in the
luggage hold of a Greyhound bus bound for El Paso,
TX and told to "come home!"

8 - "New Dog, New Trick!" - Dog will be taught
to fetch Heineken from refrigerator, being
rewarded after each fetch. After one week, Dog's
legs will be removed and replaced with standard
grocery shopping cart wheels, floor will be waxed
and Dog will be told to "fetch beer". Pictures
of Dog from experiment #9 being placed under bus
with "El Paso, TX" on destination placard will
be shown for motivation.

7 - "Schizoid" - Dog will be trained to go to
front door upon utterance of phrase "go to front
door", and trained to go to back door upon
utterance of phrase "go to back door". Dog's
vocal recorder will be programmed to play sound
clip of experimenter saying "go to back door" when
dog arrives at front door. Dog's vocal recorder
will be programmed to play sound clip of
experimenter saying "go to front door" when dog
arrives at back door. Experimenter utters command
"go to front door."

6 - "Da pimp" - Dog will be shown selections from
an extensive catalogue of bestiality films. Dog
will be dressed in lingerie and placed on a
street corner in a depressed local neighborhood.
Dog will be instructed that "Pimp daddy betta
get all his cash or you ain't nobody's bitch no
more!"

5 - "Doggy Style" - Dog will be shown old Lassie
reruns where Lassie swims to save Timmy. Dog will
be transported via pontoon boat with mannequin
labelled "Timmy" to middle of sizeable community
reservoir. Timmy will be thrown overboard.
Dog will be thrown overboard. Pontoon boat will
return to shore to record observations.

4 - "Silicon brain, Iron Will" - Dog's mobility
circuits will be disabled. Dog will be placed
in front of a television, in an otherwise
empty room, which will play a continuous tape-loop
of "Young Einstein" starring Yahoo Serious.
Dog will be wired to the charging system to
provide continuous recharging.
At the end of one month the Dog will remain
locked in this room with mobility circuits
re-activated.

3 - "Nuremberg" - Dog will be placed on trial
for "crimes against humanity" and sentenced
to execution by Monster Truck. A lengthy but
fruitless appeals process will be conducted
with experimenter playing the roles of public
defender and presiding judge. Dog will be
executed after dramatic "Dead Dog Walking"
march to driveway.

2 - "Franken-tug" - Two Dog's will be trained
to "fetch". Both Dog's will be disassembled
and their front halves joined back to back.
"Dog" will be reactivated and told to "fetch".

1 - "MSCSE" - Dog will be trained to pass the
Microsoft Certified Software Engineer Exam. After
receiving certification, Dog will apply to
Redmond, WA headquarters as a "Lead Developer".
Salary and unavoidable performance bonuses will be
contributed to the Free Software Foundation.