Sony apparently has its own smart home speaker in the works, but this one will have more of a canine feel.
The Sony Aibo, a robotic dog that was ahead of its time and would set you back around $2,000, stopped rolling off the production lines in 2006. If the rumors are to be believed, the iconic gadget of yesteryear could be about to stage a dramatic comeback. ahead of its time
That’s per a report from the Nikkei Asian Review, which says Sony is bringing back the old Aibo team to produce a new robot dog in 2018 – one that will be updated for the modern age with its own set of skills, just like the Amazon Echo and other similar smart speakers. Nikkei Asian Review Amazon Echo
Color us interested: not only could you get your device to order an Uber and switch on your Philips Hue lights, it could also pad around the room and wag its tail while doing it. As yet, specific details like price and availability are pretty thin on the ground, however.
While Sony sold around 150,000 of the robotic dogs the first time around, it didn’t really shift in big enough numbers to survive, and the Aibo was the victim of a reorganization at Sony that focused instead on mainstream electronics like consoles and televisions. a reorganization at Sony
Now, the time could be right for an Aibo comeback. The Japanese company has certainly been in a more experimental mood in recent years, with devices like smart earbuds that talk back to you and projectors that can turn any surface into an instant touchscreen. smart earbuds that talk back to you projectors that can turn any surface
With every big name in tech now bringing out a smart speaker, perhaps Sony can get an edge over the competition by having a speaker that also moves and acts like a canine. The latest AI would enable it to behave a little more like the real thing too, according to reports. bringing out a smart speaker Sony’s robotic dogs are dying off, and it’s really, really sad Sony’s robotic dogs are dying off, and it’s really, really sad
Via Engadget
