Seven-year-old Masahiko Nozue gets down on the floor and romps with AIBO, Sony's robotic pet dog. The Nozues had wanted a real dog, but pets are not allowed in their apartment. AIBO never needs to be fed, bathed, or walked, although it can simulate urination; it doesn't shed hair, bark at the neighbors, or need to be kept in a kennel when its owners are on vacation. Still, its behavior is so lifelike that the Nozues find it hard to treat it like a machine. One charge on its rechargeable battery lasts about two hours, and during that time AIBO is for all intents and purposes one of the family.

Origin of Name
The first two letters of the word AIBO stand for Artificial Intelligence. AIBO is also a robot with eyes, so [it is] an eyebo(t). Finally, AIBO is also named after the japanese word for 'pal.'
Height
266 mm
Length
275 mm
Weight
1.6 kg
Vision
Digital camera
Sensors
Contact, infrared, acceleration, angular velocity, microphone
Batteries
Lithium ion
External Power
AC recharger
Cost
$2,500
Project Status
Just the beginning
Information Source
Merran S. Wrigley