Sony has launched the “Aibo Foster Parent” program for its $2,900 robot dogs, allowing them to be donated to owners whose basic plans have been canceled.
Subsequently, the company will refurbish the Aibo as needed and donate them to medical centers, foster homes, and other organizations. The goal is to “make Aibo more sustainable,” says the company, by giving the units a second home where they can provide emotional support and more.
Every dog deserves a home, even robot dogs
The robot dogs in question, the ERS-1000 units from 2019, are still being sold and represent a reboot of Sony’s late 1990s “entertainment” robot dogs.
It’s not an entirely charitable project, as Sony will charge “foster parents” an unspecified fee for the service. They also note that, depending on their condition, some donated units may strictly serve as parts to repair other Aibo robots.
In caseyou don’t recall Aibo, these robots can perform a series of tricks like standing on their hind legs and greeting their owner at the door when they arrive home, and they are designed to “mature” over time like a real dog. They also offer a web interface that allows for custom programming of actions.
The units are equipped with a set of sensors and respond to voice and touch, and they can even recognize specific individuals, making them ideal as emotional support devices.
This means they can be used in facilities that don’t allow real animals, so the program appears to be a good way to make use of old units while reducing electronic waste.
{
"de-DE": "Journalist, spezialisiert auf Technologie, Unterhaltung und Videospiele. Über das zu schreiben, was mich begeistert (Gadgets, Spiele und Filme), ermöglicht es mir, bei Verstand zu bleiben und mit einem Lächeln im Gesicht aufzuwachen, wenn der Wecker klingelt. PS: Das stimmt nicht 100% der Zeit.",
"en-US": "Journalist specialized in technology, entertainment and video games. Writing about what I'm passionate about (gadgets, games and movies) allows me to stay sane and wake up with a smile on my face when the alarm clock goes off. PS: this is not true 100% of the time.",
"es-ES": "Content Manager - Periodista especializado en tecnología, entretenimiento y videojuegos. Escribir sobre lo que me apasiona (cacharros, juegos y cine) me permite seguir cuerdo y despertarme con una sonrisa cuando suena el despertador. PD: esto no es cierto el 100 % de las veces.",
"fr-FR": "Journaliste spécialisé dans la technologie, le divertissement et les jeux vidéo. Écrire sur ce qui me passionne (gadgets, jeux et films) me permet de rester sain d'esprit et de me réveiller avec le sourire aux lèvres quand le réveil sonne. PS : cela n'est pas vrai 100 % du temps.",
"it-IT": "Giornalista specializzato in tecnologia, intrattenimento e videogiochi. Scrivere di ciò che mi appassiona (gadget, giochi e film) mi permette di mantenere la sanità mentale e di svegliarmi con un sorriso sul viso quando suona la sveglia. PS: questo non è vero al 100% del tempo.",
"ja-JP": "",
"nl-NL": "",
"pl-PL": "",
"pt-BR": "Jornalista especializado em tecnologia, entretenimento e videogames. Escrever sobre o que me apaixona (gadgets, jogos e filmes) me permite manter a sanidade e acordar com um sorriso no rosto quando o despertador toca. PS: isso não é verdade 100% do tempo.",
"social": {
"email": "chemacs91@gmail.com",
"facebook": "",
"twitter": "https://twitter.com/chematopetazo",
"linkedin": ""
}
}
View all posts by Chema Carvajal Sarabia
