TOKYO: Sony Group Corp announced that it will lend prototype models of its dog-shaped pet robot “aibo,” together with beta-version development tools, to two university laboratories for research and testing use with the goal of expanding the robot’s capabilities.
While the company has concluded domestic sales of aibo, it has made clear that it is still working on developing a next-generation model.
It plans to incorporate the universities’ research findings into future product development.
Through collaboration with the two schools — the University of Tokyo and the University of California, Berkeley — Sony Group will gather feedback on its development efforts while advancing initiatives toward future product development and real-world use of robots.
The company will also contribute to applied research in the field of physical AI.
Aibo was first released in 1999 under the name “AIBO;” it remained in production until 2006.
Sales of a new model began in 2018, but Sony Group announced this June that it would discontinue domestic sales of the currently available model. - Japan News/ANN
