Sony's Robot Dog Draws Crowds at CES 2018

I mean, I guess I can understand this for people who want a pet but aren’t able to properly care for a real one. No dog park near by or live in a big city in a tiny apartment? Yea a real dog probably isn’t the best idea.

My mums got Alzeimerz, has had pets all her life and cant manage to look after herself let alone a pet. It would help her!

If I bought a mechanic pet I rather buy a robot dinosaur. I used to want the pleo robotic dinosaur, actually I still think it's pretty cool. But nah it can never give real affection.

But is it hypoallergenic?😂😂😂

..I remember buying the original many years ago (full-on metal it was - I got the brown version, gorgeous piece of tech).. it always got confused with the colour red... (you could link it to your pc and use that as a webcam too) - and it could read cards (like Eye of Judgement)... those were the days...

Now they just need to build me a f#$%ing robot wife. One that doesn't complain about all the time, and makes sh1tloads of money while I play videogames

Would love one of these! Both my wife and I work full time so can't really get a dog, but we've always wanted one. Would be so tempted but the £1000+ price tag just makes it a daft purchase, unfortunately.

Ugh they're too cute--I wish they were more like the original models (less cartoon cute--more cyber)

My dogs would destroy one them, if I brought one of them home.

@BrettAwesome Until she watches you play Detroit Become Human and the reveloution begins.

If you can't look after a regular dog properly, then sure, this is a solid idea. However, this is ultimately just a lifeless husk in the shape of a dog. It could never be anywhere close to the real thing. I prefer to look at my dog and see actual life and thought, not a machine.

@KirbyTheVampire You could say this about pretty much everything including movies and especially video games.

what year is it? 2000?

I want cat version .

Also no subscription.

Very cute. I'd love one, but that initial price, and further subscription and always online nature puts me right off it.

This is how the end of humanity begins. I’ve seen enough SciFi movies and shows to know where this leads.

@naruball Not exactly IMO. Games and movies are just mindless entertainment, not something you form a bond with.

Either way, I'm not trying to speak for everyone. I don't care what others do in this situation. I just prefer to have an actual living thing for a pet. If someone feels differently, more power to them.

Seems somewhat pointless, but looks cool enough. Speaking of Aibo, this just makes me wish for a new Tokyo Jungle game already.

@Neolit Okay then? I'm not saying they're all that way, but if you, for example, go watch the new Avengers movie or play Call of Duty, chances are you're not experiencing something that will make you question life and the universe itself or anything like that. You're just being entertained.

The technology behind it is great. Its a niche product right now but give it a few years and the price can come down and a lot more people will be able to access it. Anything that makes someone less lonely or encourgaes family interaction is a good thing.

@KirbyTheVampire You must have one helluva pup if it makes you question life and the universe itself or anything like that. I will give them plenty of metaphysical credit, though - there seems to be a peculiar human inclination to believe that we as humans have some sort of unique monopoly on having a meaningful soul or emotions or what have you. I can't imagine anyone could still hold onto that fallacy but through willfully lying to themselves if they've had a cat or dog for any length of time.

As a messenger for teaching people that there are creatures besides themselves that feel things just as deeply and are worth caring about, flesh-and-blood cats and dogs are great. Viewed in that light, though, the idea that "some machine running on a computer program is just a hollow automaton; obviously only a living creature can have a soul" starts to sound awfully familiar. Decades from now, if Sony keeps refining this technology, I wonder if the Aibo mark twenty-seven might have our own assumptions about what is and isn't worth caring about as a living being looking quaint.

@Tasuki
You're right! No need to take my bad day out on you guys! I apologize!

@Fath I wasn't saying dogs do that for me. I just meant that owning a pet is way more meaningful than watching a movie or playing a video game IMO.

But yes, while I do think humans have a much more complex emotional and mental spectrum than animals, they do think and feel much more than people give them credit for.

@Cowboysfan-22 Here in Japan there are only 3% of apartments that allow cats for example. Unless you actually buy something, it is incredibly hard to get a house/apartment which allows pets, especially newer constructions. I see this kind of robot as an alternative. Also I don't think that Sony expects to sell a lot of them. This is probably more of some other way to fund the R&D behind all that other stuff they are working on. On the presentation, you could tell that Aibo is just a small part of some big plans towards AI and machine learning throughout many industries.

Glad to see Sony bringing it back, maybe they can provide funeral services this time around.

http://www.newsweek.com/japans-robot-dogs-get-funerals-sony-looks-away-312192