AIBO

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The AIBO ERS-7 resembles a small dog

AIBO (Artificial Intelligence roBOt, homonymous with "companion" in Japanese) was one of several types of robotic pets designed and manufactured by Sony; there have been several different models since their introduction in 1999. Able to walk, "see" its environment via camera, and recognize spoken commands, they are considered to be autonomous robots, since they are able to learn and mature based on external stimuli from their owner or environment, or from other AIBOs. Artist Hajime Sorayama created the initial designs for the AIBO.

On January 26, 2006 Sony announced that it would discontinue AIBO and several other products as of March, 2006. It will also stop development of the QRIO robot. AIBO will still be supported until 2013 (ERS7 model), however, and AIBO technology will continue to be developed for use in other consumer products. [1] [2] AIBOware (the name is a trademark of Sony corporation), is the title given to the software the AIBO runs on its pink Memory Stick. The Life AIBOware allows the robot to be raised from pup to fully grown adult while going through various stages of development as its owner interacts with it. The Explorer AIBOware allows the owner to interact with a fully mature robot able to understand (though not necessarily willing to obey) 100 voice commands. Without the AIBOware, the AIBO will run in what is called "clinic mode" and can only perform basic actions.

Many AIBO owners enjoy teaching their pets new behaviors by reprogramming them (in Sony's special 'R-CODE' language). However, in October 2001, Sony sent a cease-and-desist notice to the webmaster of aibopet.com/aibohack.com, demanding that he stop distributing code that was retrieved by bypassing the copy prevention mechanisms of the robot. Eventually, in the face of many outraged AIBO owners, see the protest letter, Sony released a programmer's kit for 'non-commercial' use. The kit has now been expanded into three distinct tools: R-CODE, AIBO Remote Framework, and the OPEN-R SDK. These three tools are combined under the name AIBO SDE (Software Development Environment). All of these tools are free to download and can be used for commercial or non-commercial use (Except for the OPEN-R SDK, which is specifically for non-commercial use). Since the first release of OPEN-R, several AIBO programming tools have been developed by university labs, including URBI, Tekkotsu, Pyro and Cognitive Vision.

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AIBO playing with kids

The AIBO has seen use as an inexpensive platform for artificial intelligence research, because it integrates a computer, vision system, and articulators in a package vastly cheaper than conventional research robots. The RoboCup autonomous soccer competition had a "RoboCup Four-Legged Robot Soccer League" in which numerous institutions from around the world would participate. Competitors would program a team of AIBO robots to play games of autonomous robot soccer against other competing teams.

AIBO's complete vision system uses the SIFT algorithm, to recognise its charging station. The newest versions are equipped with a Wi-Fi connection, allowing them to send the pictures they take via email. As a result, the Roblog originated.

AIBO's sounds were programmed by Japanese DJ/avant-garde composer Nobukazu Takemura, considered by many to be highly skilled at fusing mechanic and organic concepts, and the bodies of the "3x" series (Latte and Macaron, the round-headed AIBOs released in 2001) were designed by visual artist Katsura Moshino.

Breed lineage

After model name: body color choices; release date; units sold.

First generation models

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AIBO models ERS-111 (right) and ERS-210 (left)

• ERS-110: silver; began sales 1 June 1999 for delivery in August; limited production of 3,000 for Japan and 2,000 for the USA
• ERS-111: grey and black; November 1999; 60,000 (estimated)

Second generation models

• ERS-210: black, silver, gold, red, blue, green, white (3 hues), champagne, etc.; 2001
• ERS-210A: several colors; 2002
• ERS-220: silver; 2002 (also available as a conversion kit for the ERS-210)
• ERS-311 "Latte": cream; 2001
• ERS-311b "Latte": cream; 2002
• ERS-312 "Macaron": black; 2001
• ERS-31L "Pug": brown; 2002
• ERS-210A: cyber blue; 2003

Estimated sales for all second generation models: 60,000

Third Generation models

• ERS-7: white; November 2003
• ERS-7M2: white and black; November 2004
• ERS-7M3: white, black, and champagne brown (called honey brown in Japan); October 2005

Estimated sales for all third generation models: 40,000 to 50,000

See also

• Domestic robot
• i-Cybie, another robotic dog
• Furby, a robot which lent many concepts to the creation of AIBO
• Sony CISC, which gives telephone technical support for AIBO
• Robo Puppy, a parody of AIBO, from Futurama
• QRIO, a humanoid robot also developed by Sony
• Asimo, a humanoid robot
• Pleo, robotic dinosaur

External links

RoboSoccer

• RoboCup's rules for AIBO soccer
• CMDash - Home page of the Carnegie Mellon robot soccer teams (includes multimedia (videos and photos) and list of relevant research papers) - CMDash'07 came in third place at RoboCup'07.
• AustinVilla - Home page of the UT Austin Villa robot soccer team
• TecRams - Home page of the ITESM-CEM TecRams robot soccer team (Mexico).
• GermanTeam - the winner of the RoboCup 2004 and 2005 in the Sony Four Legged League
• Microsoft Hellhounds - the winner of the German Open 2005, Robogames 2005, US Open 2006, ROBOLUDENS Dutch Open 2006 in the Sony Four Legged League
• rUNSWift - winners of the RoboCup 2000, 2001 and 2003 Four-Legged League competition
• Team Humboldt - RoboSoccer team offering a further informations, pics and videos of the AIBO playing soccer
• S.P.Q.R. - Homepage of the SPQR RoboCup-soccer team (Rome, Italy)

General Programming

• URBI : An easy and powerful script engine to program your Aibo
• Tekkotsu - A third-party open source software development environment for the AIBO
• Aibo Hack - web site offering information on how to do interesting things with the AIBO
• W/BO Project - a project of Wi-Fi detection for AIBO
• dogsbodynet.com - Site hosting DogsLife Aibo personality, Skitter AIBO Dance Editor, and other cool stuff
• Cognitive Vision - A project to improve AI abilities of AIBO
• Webots 5 - A commercial software package that realistically simulates the AIBO and other robots

User Forums

• AIBO-Life Site and Forums - Largest Community :: Forums Chat Shindig :: Happy AIBOing...
• Aibotails - AIBO fan site with community forum
• AIBOnet - A community networking site for AIBO owners
• SONYAiBO.net - An AIBO fansite by an AiBOwner.
• AIBO case study
• Good-Aibo - The Aibo starts here - UK based Sony aibo forum