Word: aibo
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...made for fun or therapy, like pet seals and robot chef that can whip up pancakes. But no matter how clever or cuddly, even in Japan commercial robots have a serious flaw: their price. Consumers balk at their heavy price tags, which typically run into the thousands. Sony's AIBO robotic dog, which cost $2,000 per pup, opened to much fanfare only to be cut in 2006, seven years after its introduction...
...DISCONTINUED. AIBO, pioneering robopet that has charmed more than 150,000 owners since its debut in 1999; in Tokyo. The termination of the $1,570 dog that plays ball and reacts to voices and faces is part of a shake-up at its Japanese manufacturer, Sony Electronics, which has scrambled to stem lagging profits. Sony has also cut 4,500 jobs, closed seven factories and terminated its cutting-edge Qrio humanoid robots and its luxury Qualia electronics line...
...Aibo, Sony's toy robot dog, was a huge commercial hit. But it's a quadruped so, by today's standards, no great shakes. Meet Qrio (rhymes with curio), the company's new bipedal "personal agent." More of a corporate showpiece than an actual product (on the market it would fetch about as much as a BMW), Qrio can walk uphill, sing, dance, wave hello, wiggle its fingers and kick a ball with surprising grace. Two digital cameras, one behind each eye, help Qrio map a room for future reference and recognize up to 10 different faces. It can also...
...AIBO...
...Sony declines to say if AIBO (which means "partner" in Japanese) has proved profitable. But there seems to be real demand for robot pets, judging by the AIBO owners clubs springing up in the U.S. and Japan. Sayuri Toba, a thirtysomething medical clerk in Tokyo, says she and her husband splurged on an AIBO named Hal two years ago. She looks back nostalgically on Hal's first day as a member of the family: "I was so happy. I felt like I was looking at a new being." She still plays with Hal every day after work?it can chase...