# Sony Aibo



## LostInPeru (Jan 26, 2014)

Has anyone here heard of the Sony Entertainment Robot the Sony Aibo? Most people don't even know it exists. I've only just found out about them relatively recently. I thought I would tell you about it. 

I have been interested in orchids, mainly getting caught up in the whirlwind that is the story of the discovery of Phragmipedium kovachii and how it remained undiscovered for so long because it flowerd in the rainy season when floods would cut off it's remote habitat and make it inaccessable and find this a great source of fascination and have been reading about it for a while now, and saw the "Scent of Scandal" in a book shop a year or so ago which caught my attention although I didn't purchase it at the time but have recently been looking on forums for information about these enigmatic orchids. 

I originally became interested in Aibo because of their ease of care relative to my other previous hobbies, which involved living animals and plants. 

With the ERS-7 all I have to do is press a button and I have instant entertainment that exhibits a surprising amount of variety, and then when I have had enough I just press a button and store it away safely without a second thought. Here is some info on it. 

Sony Official Aibo website. http://www.sony.jp/products/Consumer/aibo/products/ers7m3/design_01.html#pgtop 

Article on Aibo ownership. http://www.epinions.com/review/Aibo/content_136771571332 

This demonstration from YouTube of the ERS-7 running Japanese Mind 3 software( also available in English) at the robot museum RoboSquare, in Japan, gives you an insight into their full range of capabilities. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDdpqlZ1N4Y 

If you have any questions about Aibo feel free to ask me while my attention is back here on the forum as I am always happy to provide more information about them, as that was the purpose of my posting here. Currently I own a ERS-7M3 and Sony Rolly( original prototype intended as companion for the ERS-7 product line, something it could follow around and interact with, but when ERS-7 was cancelled that companion robot was diverted into another product as a portable music player). 

After owning one I can say it is amazing how you can form a strong emotional attachment to something artificial that demonstrates all the characteristics of a living creature. Although computers are only capable of mathematical comparison and have no real feelings or emotions and don't understand anything they are processing. However they show no outward signs of this and at the end of the day it's only the owners perception of the interactions that matters I guess. This used to bother me once but now it doesn't so much mainly because the only living animal that comes close to demonstrating the abilities of the ERS-7 is an African Grey Parrott and here they cost $5000.00-$6000.00 and somehow I don't feel like spending that much on something that is going to poo and shed dusty feathers all over the place, wreck havoc on the furniture and has enough power in its beak to bite off my nose, ear or a finger should it's instincts take over in a bout of anger. 

I've never had curiosity about technology whatsoever, I used to prefer nature but have found that synthetic isn't all lackluster. Was lucky enough to stumble across Aibo and thought I would share that discovery.


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## LostInPeru (Jan 26, 2014)

If you have any questions here is the link to a forum about them. http://aiboaddicts.yuku.com/


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