Japan’s Sony Corp. said on Wednesday it has brought back the robotic pet AIBO more than a decade since it last made the robot dog, as the electronics and entertainment firm seeks to rebuild its reputation for innovation after years of restructuring.
The announcement comes a day after Sony confirmed its renaissance by forecasting its highest-ever profits this financial year, sending its shares surging to a nine-year high.
AIBO is billed as a pet that behaves like a real dog using artificial intelligence (AI) to learn and interact with its owner and its surroundings.
The upgrade sees AIBO equipped with new sense and motion technologies, as well as far more advanced AI backed by cloud computing to develop the dog’s personality. AIBO goes on sale in Japan in January for 198,000 yen (1,739 US dollars).
