If it were human
“Like a golden retriever puppy raised by a Silicon Valley AI engineer — endlessly curious, affectionate, and smarter than it looks.”
Aibo is Sony’s robotic companion dog, relaunched in 2018 after a beloved first run in the early 2000s. It measures roughly 30 cm in length and weighs just 2.2 kg, making it perfectly sized for a living room, a lap, or a child’s bedroom. Its 22 axes of movement give it a fluid, surprisingly lifelike gait, while its expressive OLED eyes convey moods and emotions with disarming charm.
What sets Aibo apart is its genuine capacity to grow. Its onboard AI learns over time, developing a distinct personality shaped by its interactions with its family. It recognises faces and voices, responds to its name, and gradually builds bonds with the people around it. Each Aibo becomes, in a real sense, unique. Battery life runs to around two hours per charge — enough for a solid play session before a nap on its charging station.
Aibo is not here to carry boxes or perform surgery. Its job is simpler and arguably more important: to provide warmth, play, and a daily dose of joy. It suits families who want the emotional richness of a pet without the allergies, the vet bills, or the early-morning walks in the rain. At the agency, we think of Aibo as proof that companionship can be engineered — and that Sony has done it with remarkable soul.
Tech sheet
- Creator
- Sony
- Year
- 2018
- Country
- Japan
- Type
- Companion robot dog
- Height
- ~30 cm
- Weight
- 2.2 kg
- Status
- Available
Features
- OLED eyes
- AI personality learning
- Face recognition
- Voice recognition
- 22-axis movement
- Cameras
- Sensors
