Sony SNE hopes AIBO is just the first in a whole menagerie of artificial dogs, cats, monkeys, and creatures yet to be imagined. Indeed, AIBO is just smart enough not to fall off the edge of a table. But within a few years, such companions could be running errands, helping with household chores, and assisting the handicapped. Long before such smart robots march into homes, simple pets will be sopping up plenty of affection. The day after Sony's announcement, its Tokyo call center was flooded with more than 1,000 customers eager to order artificial pets.
Competition is already intense.
In March, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. MC showed a prototype of a talking robotic cat with camera sensors for eyes, designed as a companion for Japan's quickly growing elderly population. Honda Motor Co. HMD is pushing the ''mechatronic'' envelope with humanoid robots that can climb stairs. And in the U.S., Massachusetts Institute of Technology robotics maven Rodney A. Brooks runs a company called IS Robotics, whose machines were the prototypes for the Rover Sojourner that explored Mars. Still, Sony has formidable advantages. In addition to the world's most recognized brand, the company has had a skunk works on robotics since 1994.