SEE AIBO GO
As a gadget fan who has owned Sony's robotic Aibo pooches since they first came out in 1999, it was
disheartening to see that the company will be discontinuing the product line.
The Mercury News summarizes the development as follows:
"The Aibo lived seven years -- or 49 if you count robotic dog years.
On Thursday, Sony pulled the plug on its Aibo robot, the peppy robotic dog with a software-controlled personality -- and abilities -- that has entertained thousands of faithful owners. The dogs, which cost upwards of $2,000 each, can dance, whimper, guard and play, developing personalities based on interaction with its owners. Sony has sold over 150,000 Aibos since launching the product in May 1999.
The Tokyo-based consumer electronics giant is restructuring under new chief executive Howard Stringer. Sony said Thursday that it plans to focus on three core businesses -- electronics, games and entertainment. Its two robotics efforts, the Aibo and the Qrio humanoid robot, got the ax."
A small silver lining for existing owners like yours truly:
"It will continue to support existing models, until they're each seven years old."
Well, that's something.
The Aibos were really something as well...a gadget that oozed promise of some cool things to come as technology evolved.
Truth be told, as a Sony shareholder, I'm supportive of the overall actions the company is taking to enhance shareholder value. The general response by investors has been good, as the adjacent chart from Yahoo! Finance illustrates.
So I do see the need for short-term pragmatism, despite my long-term hopes for social robots.
But in the back of my mind, I can't help agree with Umair of Bubblegeneration, on the longer-term implications of this particular decision:
"This is the beginning of the death of a nascent competence in tomorrow's highest growth CE market - social robotics. Selling your seedcorn is usually a very bad idea...
...to continue investing in innovation, break wide open entirely new markets, which it has huge first-mover and brand advantages in."
Ah, well, there's still Honda in this field with it's Asimo...they don't do dogs, but there's always 
hope.
In the meantime, if you're interested, here are some interesting Asimo links:
Asimo, Asimo Photographs and Asimo Movie.
Not quite Asimov's I, Robot, but a good baby step nevertheless.
Too bad! Those dogs were really great. Thanks for the article and the links about the Asimo. Now that is cool!
Posted by: CellphoneSavant | Tuesday, February 14, 2006 at 01:43 PM