History of Aibo
The history of aibo is pretty neat – it is longer and way more interesting than you might think! It’s all thanks to some incredible engineers who put in years of work developing these cute robot companions.
Every time they introduced a new model, aibo pushed the boundaries in the world of consumer robotics technology. They consistently remained way ahead of their time, to the point where the creator of aibo received an award for it being the very first mass-market entertainment robot ever!
Now, let’s dive right in to the story of our beloved robotic pup!
The Early History
The history of aibo traces back to Sony’s Computer Science Laboratory (CSL), which established it in 1990. CSL’s first big achievement was creating the Aperios operating system, which would later become the software used as a base for the early aibo models.
Aibo, the cute robotic puppy, started off as an obscure operating system – isn’t that strange to think about?
Fast forward to 1995 when a man named Nobuyuki Idei became the new president of Sony. He had a vision for a digital future filled with more technology, so he worked to put Sony’s CSL in the spotlight. This period marked a significant chapter in aibo’s early history and set the stage for the creation of aibo as we know it today.
The First Prototype
Dr. Toshitada Doi, largely credited as the inventor of aibo, initiated it all. In 1994, he joined forces with AI expert Masahiro Fujita with a plan to create a robot meant to entertain people.
Notably, Fujita believed that robots needed to have convincing autonomous behavior to keep people engaged – this is why aibo feels so alive!
Together, they got to work and brought the very first prototype to life, naming it “MUTANT.” It looked entirely different than the production models of aibo.
It was monkey-like, and it could track a ball, shake your hand, and sleep. Does this sound familiar? It should, because aibo also does all of these things!
There were many prototypes over the early years, and many of them had six legs. Personally, I am glad they didn’t stick with that, I don’t think I would want a six-legged dog running around in my house!
In 1997, Doi received backing from Sony to create Sony’s Digital Creature Lab which would later produce the very first commercially available aibo.
The First Aibo Model
Released in June of 1999, 2 years after the creation of Sony’s Digital Creature Lab, the silver ERS-110 would open the door to a new era of consumer robotics.
It has the charming appearance of a floppy-eared dog (designed to resemble a beagle) with many fun features based on all of the prototypes Sony had created. The ERS-110 walks on 4 legs and is fully autonomous, capable of performing behaviors all on its own. It is able to express emotion through its eyes, and seek out companionship.
This model had a limited release of only 5,000 units, and it sold out in only 20 minutes at the price of $2,500 USD. Due to this, they are hard to find now and can be a little more expensive than ERS-111s.
The ERS-110 was incredible at the time because no other robots like this were available for consumers to purchase. People were very excited to get their hands on such an advanced robot that could serve as their companion, and this created an extremely high demand.
Meeting Demand
Due to the extreme success of the ERS-110, Sony created and released a slightly different model in November of 1999 called the ERS-111.
Many sources refer to them as the “improved” model, but they really aren’t different in function. They mostly just had a different look to them, and the 111 was also available in black.
The silver color also had a slightly different hue, with less warmth, and their ears and tails had slightly different shapes.
They were available for $2,500 USD and sold until March of 2000 after the final batch. Each batch of the ERS-111 were only available for roughly 2 weeks.
A New Era
In November of 2000, Sony released an aibo model with a brand new and entirely different body design – the ERS-210. These dogs had pointed ears and a short stubby tail that had expressive LEDs in it.
The ERS-210 marked the first time Sony created a brand new iteration of their robot dog. They achieved great success and became the most widely produced model of aibo.
They came in a massive variety of colors – much more than any other model ever created.
These dogs also featured a very large variety of different software you could run them on, and Sony continued to release new software for quite some time. Many community members made custom software for them, too.
They were priced at $1,500 when released and were later discounted to $1,200.
ERS-210 Expanded
Due to the success of the ERS-210, Sony released a different variety of this model called the ERS-220. These dogs looked much more like futuristic robots and had a variety of LEDs on their body that would light up based on their actions.
They can utilize the same software as an ERS-210, and there was even an “upgrade” kit for ERS-210 owners to transform their aibo into an ERS-220.
Japanese artist Shoji Kawamori, known for his work on the anime Ghost in the Shell, designed them.
These dogs, sold from December 2001 to September 2003, are rare. They can be challenging to find now.
Round and Cute
210s were so well-received that Sony introduced another model of aibo in 2001. The ERS-31X series were round and cute – a massive departure from previous designs. There were three different designs, with the ERS-31L being the rarest.
ERS-31X dogs looked much more dog-like than their predecessors. They lost the visor and LED eyes in favor of a round head with small circular eyes. The “horn” on their head indicates their mood, displaying different colors on its LED.
These aibos are the cheapest model ever, released at $950 USD. They were extremely popular in Japan, but lacked that popularity in the USA.
They later received Bluetooth capabilities, which allowed them to communicate with a handheld viewer.
Entering the Future
The next model of aibo, released in November 2003, was the ERS-7. This was the first model that Sony officially called a robot dog.
The ERS-7 regained the visor of older models, but it had a large array of LEDs that could portray its mood in various different patterns and colors. It still used a memory stick, but it did not have as much software as the ERS-210 did. It only had MIND 1, 2, and 3.
The ERS-7 marked the end of the aibo line of products for years when Sony discontinued it in March 2006. They sold it for $1,600 USD.
The Revival of Aibo
In 2018, much to the surprise of the aibo community, Sony released a brand new model of aibo and thus brought the product line back to life.
The ERS-1000 marked the start of a new era of aibo. It is designed to be cute and puppy-like, and it accomplishes this extremely well with its soft rounded features and expressive LED eyes.
The ERS-1000 is the first cloud-based model. It also primarily uses onboard memory instead of memory sticks – another first. Older models used onboard memory as well, but to a much lesser extent than 1000s do.
For full functionality, it requires an internet connection and a cloud plan. It is currently available for purchase through Sony at a price of approximately $3,000 USD.
After a long and interesting past, aibo has a bright future ahead of it in the realm of robotics. It still leads the charge today as the most advanced robotic pet available, and hopefully it will defend that title for many years to come!
Quick FAQs:
When was aibo made?
The first model of aibo was released on May 11, 1999, while ERS-1000s were released in 2018.
Where was aibo invented?
Aibo was initially created in Japan by Sony, where it is the most popular.
Who created aibo?
Dr. Toshitada Doi, a highly talented Japanese eletrical engineer, is largely credited as being the inventor of aibo.