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Sony's AIBO robot Sold Out 59

Posted by CmdrTaco from the stuff-to-see dept.
An Anonymous Coward writes "Sony's AIBO entertainment robot sold out in Japan in 20 minutes. They sold 3000 units; that's more than 2 units sold per second!" Sony has been advertising this thing on Slashdot actually so I've browsed the site pretty extensively. I just wish I had the cash to fork out for one of these puppies (rimshot). They look awesome, although I think I want a version that can climb stairs...
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Sony's AIBO robot Sold Out More

Sony's AIBO robot Sold Out

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  • guess you'll have to make sure yr pc is oilproof if yr robot-dog cocks a leg on it.
  • they are wanting real money for those hampsters!
  • I checked out the two that appeared. The one for $4,500 is closed, and cheaper one is bid up to $2,550.

    What's odd about this is that I believe you can still get one direct from Sony. The close-out applies to Japan only.

    D

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  • Well it appears to be a pretty cute pup but I'd much rather half a dozen boxes of MindStorms Lego than a metal mutt. Maybe someone ought to sucker MIT into developing a fluffy friend that doesn't break the bank.
  • Northwestern only has a prototype version, the commercial one isn't supposed to be nearly as good. Not even any good visual software, the NU people had to hack that in themselves! But maybe it'll have better than a 20 minute battery?

    Now, do the real ones have that robot-with-no-skin look the prototype has? ;)

    -----
    kernel: lp0: using parport0 (polling).
    kernel: lp0 off-line
    kernel: lp0 out of paper

  • You know what I mean. ;P

    Thanks for the info. I needed to download Kanji support anyway. I find it interesting that most of the good robotic journals are in Japanese.

    The thing really looks like a mechwarrior to me.
    Are they trying to give us a clue?
  • Add a vase and then it will be just as complex as a Volkswagen.
  • Just wait til you see what Sony is gonna charge for the first generation SexBot!

    Maybe you should to go ahead and volunteer now for their beta-testing program.
  • I was just wondering whether there are quicktime
    or MPEG movies or whatever somewhere of the
    dog walking about?

    --Sander.

  • Might I ask? (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward
    I'm not sure I understand the appeal of these things. It's a chunk of metal that moves around, has a small number of mildly interactive modes of operation, and a level of complexity that stands just below that of a Volkswagen.

    At least, that's how it seems to me: an advanced version of Little Baby Walkaround toys. Yes, it's golly-gee neat, but is it worth money?

    So, my question is what are folks finding appealing about this product? The fact that it is popular at all seems highly counterintuitive to me, so much so that I have to assume I'm missing something here.

    So what's the big deal?
  • I've wanted one of these dogs since I first read about it. The technology in these things is incredible, but the price is a little steep for me (not that it's not worth it. If I had the money, you can be sure I'd have one.)

    Sit. Fetch. Compile my new kernel. Good Boy! (throws a doggie treat)

    -- Give him Head? Be a Beacon?

  • I've heard from reliable sources that the commercial version isn't even programmable, you can't teach it new tricks. Where's the fun in that?

    I've also heard they plan on selling a "developer box" for even more $$$ that will let you actually program the thing (maybe only a special version of the thing?) So unfortunately, teaching it to compile your kernel is out.

    -----
    kernel: lp0: using parport0 (polling).
    kernel: lp0 off-line
    kernel: lp0 out of paper

  • I think that the joy of this robot is something that is going to be different for each and every person. For me, I would love to sit and watch it's programming continue to adapt to living in my house. The thought of an actual self-learning robot appeals to me so much that I could justify the expense. Of course, I'm weird, too.

    I can't see this being the ideal "toy" for a child, as a young one couldn't appreciate it on the level at which it deserves. Maybe when they become mainstream and cheaper I'll be able to change my mind, but for now they are simply one of two things: 1) Status Symbol, or 2) Geek Toy.
    And I say to that - Why not?
  • Last Christmas, I wandered over to my favourite Christmas Lights area to check out the decorations. One of the people there had a little plastic robot that his son was playing with. He was a really nice guy, so I hung out around his house for a while, checking out the robot. It couldn't do much sophisticated - it could walk around, say what you told it to via the remote control, and flash a few lights. I can tell you that his son just ate it up.

    I think the thing cost about $ 100. Aibo costs twenty times what the robot did, but it's capable of independent behaviour of some kind. It also looks like it's made out of considerably more solid materials.

    I'd be a little wary of the value for money proposition. My understanding is that kids get bored with toys pretty fast, and it's an awfully expensive toy. When we get the kind of mania that sells out a toy in seconds, especially something this expensive, I think there are factors more than sheer merit driving the phenomenon. Obviously, Sony's marketing is brilliant, but I doubt this has the long-term potential a $2,000 toy should.

    I echo the thoughts of a fellow slashdotter in this thread - I'd blow $2,000 on a comprehensive Lego Mindstorms set and see what my kid (if I had one) could create, instead of getting this pre-packaged temptation. I think it would create a lot more enjoyment.

    D

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  • What happens when these things eventually pass a Turing test for dogs? What will the humain society have to say about rebooting your ABIO?

    Eventually, even if it doesn't end up in a human form, somebody is going to build a near-human level intelligence robot. If it can pass or come close to passing the Turing test, we can't very well subject it to ownership or forced labor. Most industrial societies have protection against abuse of animals and the mentally handicapped, so to be consistant we would have to protect those robots in the same way.

    Just a thought....
  • This just proves there are at least 3000 people in Japan who have waaaaay too much time and money.
  • . . . there's always the upcoming Yoda (R) Furby (R).
  • That depends. You're assuming that the "dog" would operate with some sort of intelligence not only *on par* with organic minds, but also *compatibly* with organic minds. If I were going to build an AI pet (AI people would be different), then I would keep out a lot of the features. Sure, it would be neat if it was fully functional, but it would be much more convenient to make a dog where you didn't need to feel guilty about neglecting the thing, because it wouldn't mind. It's a very tricky topic, but I think that conventional ethics would only apply if its brain functioned like our does, or like those of dogs do.

    I'm speaking more of general robot intelligence here, and ignoring your Turing test comment; that wouldn't apply if its brain functioned differently.

    But see, now I feel guilty about contemplating neglecting a robot dog, even though it wouldn't care--very difficult subject matter indeed.
  • I liked the prototype better. Instead of looking like a freaky "egyptian" dog (no offense meant, egyptians!), it looked more like a futuristic monkey. Way better looking.

    I'd argue about what the heck Sony was thinking, but since they sold out of the little buggers, it would be a moot point.

    - LoTonah
  • Well, a few thousand units really isn't a lot for a commercial product like this. I can imagine quite a few kinds of people willing to pay:

    1. A Japanese businessman lives in a small apartment in Tokyo. His kid wants a pet. He goes for one that doesn't make any messes and won't wake up the neighbors. Also you can substitute "aged parent" for "kid".

    2. Somebody who just loves electronic gadgetry but is mega-rich and mega-busy, and doesn't have the time to build his own robot. I mean, once you're worth multi-millions (and so many geeks are nowadays), you simply don't have to bother with accounting for the thousands here and there.

  • Scary (Score:1)

    by addo ( 47331 )
    It really is scary that Sony can put out just about anything on the market and it will sell.

    Reminds me of another company, called M$.

    Being big enough today seems to mean that you can manufacture just about any shit you can come up with because there are always some intelectually challenged people out there willing to pay for whatever these big companies can shove out.

    I know it is called free market but it scares me never the less.

  • For most of our recorded history we have subjected *other human beings* to ownership and forced labor. All that is needed is a good excuse. This is just the trivial case...

    -Steve
  • The article mentions a 8MB "memory stick" used to store new commands for the thing. Mabey this along with a PC attachment to program it is the development kit you mentioned. It doesn't make it any clearer how much you can program them though.
  • Yeah the dog is neat and all... but where's my sex bot, dammit!
  • How would you use the Turing test on a robotic dog, anyway?

    Consider that the Turing test basically states that to pass, it must be able to mimic a human so well that it is impossible to tell the machine from the genuine article. In the area of intelligence, it's been agreed upon that this means using language as intelligently as a human would (which would be possible via an IRC-like mechanism).

    So, how would you apply the Turing test to a robotic dog? Would you send up up against a team of dog experts (veterinarians, dog trainers, etc.) to see if it were indistinguishable from a real dog? We're far away from that one happenning.
  • No, it runs a proprietary OS, designed for real-time operation. Actually, the doggie has a number of parallel processors running -
    * A CognaChrome vision system - runs on some version of 680x0 chip, probably a specialized
    embedded one. The last CognaChrome I played with
    ran on a custom 68020 board - but Sony must have
    done something extra special with it.

    What is a CognaChrome? It's a fairly simple but very effective vision system originally from MIT. Basically, it thresholds the image to extract blobs of color, and then it returns the position of the biggest blob. I played around with an earlier version CognaChrome, it's relatively easy to work with and VERY FAST. The first version only recognized one color. I believe the doggies recognize 3 or 4, which largely depends on the processor speed. But hell, it's probably the only really workable real-time computer vision system right now!

    * One or more motion control processors, doing nothing but servo control. This puppy has 3 servos per leg (to get 3 degrees of freedom), two to hold its head up (or down, or to the side), and one for the tail. That's a lot of PID loops to keep track of.

    * a central processor to run the "intelligence" and command the rest of the system. Last time I heard, it was a custom version of the MIPS
    R4000 chip (same as PlayStation?).

    The doggies are very programmable, unless Sony put some deliberate obfuscations in. I've seen the "alpha-doggie" up close, it actually had an
    Ethernet card hooked up to it so you could telnet
    to it and tweak parameters. Of course, they probably removed that for the commercial version.

    It's too bad I'm not doing robotics anymore, if I stayed at my last job, I probably would have had one!

    mAx
  • When I first saw the thing, I was amazed. It was obvious that the thing had limited abilities and intellence, but I imagined that with a little work, some really neat things could be done with it. I personally would just take the exoskeleton and redo the whole insides. With a bit more power and a few more sensors, this thing could be very adaptabile.

    I hear that the thing can stand on two legs, but I doubt it could walk that way. Are there any cases where a robot has accomplished bi-pedal motion? I have never been able to accompish it in my limited experence, due to the way we humans shift our center of gravity. I suspect that would be the source of the "stair" problem too.
  • Same reactions to the smae stimuli. Like the same degree of learning behavior, social patternes, etc...
  • Its neat and I've followed it since I saw what I believe was an early beta here in Melbourne at some trade show or other last year.

    At college here theres a project for robo-soccer and its just funny to compare how primiteve our stuff is compared to this.

    Uni homepage - http://www.cse.rmit.edu.au search for robo-soccer or sometihng of the sort.

    Later,
    denmaster
  • Or - hey! - a real puppy...

    ...Nah, that'd just be silly.

    *sigh* When Sony releases robotic human friends we're all in deep shit.
  • Seems like if you were clever enough, you could make a Mindstorm set do it. Have it check for motion within a certain distance, set up a time wasting loop (so it waits before it strikes), then WHACK! No more roachie. Maybe you would make it roam around known roach-infested areas. Would it be possible to make it respond to motion only from small objects? Coz you don't want it running around whacking the dog or cat...

  • "The first version only recognized one color. I believe the doggies recognize 3 or 4, which largely depends on the processor speed."
    This thing is already better than some tiny little annoying mutts in many ways. Dogs only see in black-and-white. This one is able to distinguish color. Don't have to clean up after this one, and it doesn't destroy your granny's 17th century victorian rugs.

  • It runs Apertos, a reflective operating
    system based on an eclectic Japanese dialect of Lisp.

    You can find one article in
    Advances in Object-Oriented Metalevel Architectures and Reflection [amazon.com], as well as some other references
    at the awfully outdated Apertos home page [sony.co.jp].

    BTW, It's not the first thing running on Apertos,
    some Sony people I met told me they have some set-top boxes using it, but they never tell (well,
    obviously they do when you surprise them asking about such kind of thing).

    Damm. Just the kind of excuse I was looking for. Now I'll _really_ have to buy this puppy.

  • Eventually, even if it doesn't end up in a human form, somebody is going to build a near-human level intelligence robot. If it can pass or come close to passing the Turing test, we can't very well subject it to ownership or forced labor. Most industrial societies have protection against abuse of animals and the mentally handicapped, so to be consistant we would have to protect those robots in the same way.

    We'd better hope we find a way of building restrictions into any intelligence we create, because there's no guarentee it will feel as sympathetic toward us.

    We may be lucky to even notice that a machine has become intelligent, as our standards for measuring AI intelligence (i.e. the Turing test) are biased toward a human intelligence. I've got a book somewhere at home (Mind and the Machine ?) that has some interesting theories along these lines.

    Personally I think that we ought to create robot slaves for us. Most great societies have been built on slave labour, even though we may find the notion abhorrent. Robots designed with this purpose in mind are a natural progression of current development of time saving appliances and industrial machinery, IMHO.


    --
    make clean; make love --without-war
  • "Are there any cases where a robot has accomplished bi-pedal motion?"

    Yes, there are at least two:

    Honda [honda.co.jp] made a pair of bipedal robots, the P2 and P3 [honda.co.jp], that ar capable of walking, including up and down stairs, and pushing a cart around. The Robot page is in Japanese, so I can't tell too much more about it. (Sorry, my Japanese is REALLY bad.) Watching it walk is kind of eerie, it looks just like a human walking, just slightly hunched over. They both can walk 2 km/h (about 1.25 mph.)

    The P2 is 1820mm tall (5'11.6") and weighs 210 kg (463 lbs), and the P3 is 1600mm tall (5'3") and weighs 130 kg (286.5 lbs.)

    The P2 has a large, boxy head and a huge, boxy "backpack", whereas the P3 has a round head and a much smaller "backpack".

    There is a page [honda.co.jp] with a bunch of video clips (2 RealVideo, 5 embedded QuickTimes.) Warning, it's a BIG page for modem users. (Hooray for ADSL!)

    Also see this page [caltech.edu] for information on it from a researcher at Cal Tech.

    Oops... After writing all that, I noticed an English version [honda.co.jp] of the robot info page... Sorry, I'm too lazy to go back and edit all those URLS.

  • So unfortunately, teaching it to compile your kernel is out.

    oh really? :)

    don't know whether this applies to the commercial version, but our robotics group at northwestern implemented the scheme language for the dogs, and our pets are now fully programmable. you can even have them crunch equations for you in their spare time. :) (yeah, yeah, i heard all about beowoof clusters. stop that! :)

    btw, the dogs make a really cool robotics research platform. if you're in orlando this summer, i'd check out the aaai conference [aaai.org] - several universities have had the dogs for a while now, and i hope there will be some interesting applications of the dogs to Real Robotics Research (tm) exhibited at the conference...

  • Sony has a monopoly on the market, whatever that market is, so they can charge as they will...

    The minute someone else has another robotic pet on the market, the price will drop, the manufacturing rate will increase, etc.

    Personally, I want a robotic Pikachu!

    But I'm weird.


    -AS

  • Re:Feh! (Score:1)

    by Servo ( 9177 )
    www.realdoll.com
  • Sony isn't the typical /. advertisor, and the banner add came soon after the original /. article on the bot, so I wonder if the slashdot effect itself atracts advertisers:

    "We sudenly got a lot of hits from some place called slashdot, that had a story about out product. Hey, the sell banner adds, and their readers are obviously interested in our product, so lets advertise there!"

    That'd be nice.

  • Re:Feh! (Score:1)

    by zztzed ( 279 )
    I think he wants something a bit more, ah, interactive.
  • You forgot Stage Five - although, admittedly, it takes a while to happen. Ten years pass, the thing gets valuable out of people's nostalgia for it.

    D

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