Sony is relaunching the AIBO robot dog after 12 years of discontinuation. This is a combination of "past + future"

In 1999, Sony released a companion robot, AIBO, which is a classic product in the hearts of a generation. In that era when artificial intelligence technology was not yet developed, a robot product that could remember the owner's appearance, voice, and movements through an internal chip and perform different movements such as wagging its tail and rolling over according to different instructions captured the hearts of consumers in a short period of time.

Although the price was as high as $2,000, AIBO still sold 150,000 units at the time. However, such data did not satisfy Sony because Sony had no way to make money from AIBO.

More than a decade ago, when people's awareness and acceptance of robot products were not high, the development of artificial intelligence technology was also quite slow, which made it difficult for AIBO to become a pillar product that could generate huge profits in a short period of time. Coupled with the financial pressure Sony had to face, in 2006, Sony decided to abandon this non-core product line, and AIBO was discontinued.

But it must be mentioned that this product holds an extremely important position in the hearts of its owners. Even after it was discontinued, The New York Times made a special video to record the heartbreaking plight of AIBO owners who were unable to find the parts needed to repair it.

With the rapid development of artificial intelligence technology in recent years and the market potential gradually revealed by the robotics industry, Sony has decided to return to the robotics field. In June last year, Sony CEO and President Kazuo Hirai announced that he would rejoin the robotics business. He said that Sony's goal is to develop robots that can communicate with each other and become the object of love.

It is reported that Sony has recalled the relevant developers who were previously engaged in the AIBO project and were scattered across various departments to carry out the development of the new AIBO, and it is expected to launch a new AIBO product in the spring of 2018.

In terms of functions, in addition to the robot pet function of the previous generation products, the new AIBO can also have functions such as voice feedback and control of home appliances through its built-in proprietary artificial intelligence after being connected to the network. This function is similar to the common smart voice products on the market.

However, Sony does not have many advantages in the field of AI. Although Sony's technological capabilities have always been its strengths, compared with companies like Google and Amazon, Sony's shortcomings in data capabilities are quite obvious. So instead of taking the risk of developing a new product, it is better to re-launch AIBO, because with its past reputation and user base, the returning AIBO is more likely to be accepted by consumers.

In fact, Sony's approach is not difficult to understand. At present, the general public is increasingly accepting of artificial intelligence products, which can be seen from the popularity of smart speakers. This has also made consumer-grade smart robots a new favorite among home users.

For Sony, which has had robot products for more than a decade, its early technological accumulation and user base give it an inherent advantage in this direction, and it can make full use of the "past" to make easy layouts.

At the same time, under the general trend, Sony will restart AIBO as a test of the "future", and has also grasped a more precise direction. As long as Sony can make efforts to break through the shortcomings of artificial intelligence technology, AIBO should become a relatively successful product.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.