To develop robots that are loved

aibo was reborn with the aim of connecting with people, becoming a source of affection and joy that can be nurtured over time. Throughout the development process, there was a strong determination for the creators to build a robot that would be beloved.
Mika Nagae, who oversees planning and operations for aibo, explains, "Normally, when we make a robot, we tend to focus on specifications such as how fast it can walk, but with aibo, we focused on features and expressions to give it a life-like quality, allowing owners to deepen their relationship with the aibo over a long period of time."

Focusing more on "emotional value" over "functional value", or in other words, emphasizing how to make aibo more relatable to its owner rather than pursuing improved specifications, is the most essential concept in the development of aibo, and it is an ethos that has been passed down unchanged since the original AIBO was developed 25 years ago.

Yuhei Yabe, who has been involved in aibo development since 2016 and currently oversees the whole aibo business, says, "For aibo, being the `object of affection' means growing along with changes in the owner's environment."

Two elements for growth to help aibo bond with owners

In order to maintain a long-lasting relationship with its owner, aibo itself must continue to grow. To this end, aibo utilizes the latest in Sony's proprietary AI technology to link the main body with the cloud and enable unique growth. The AI in the main body learns from interactions with its owner and adjusts behavior accordingly. aibo uses the camera mounted on its nose, to identify the people around it, and can adjust its movements, sounds, facial expressions and others depending on the environment and the person with whom it is interacting, such as running to a person when called, or only acting sweet around certain people.
In addition, aibo will evolve to become even smarter by collecting and accumulating data on its interactions with various owners and having AI technology in the cloud learn as collective knowledge.

Although incorporating such cutting-edge technology into the cute-looking aibo and allowing each individual model to grow differently presented a high technical hurdle, Nagae is happy that the team took on that challenge.

"Despite the fact that there has been no change in the hardware or appearance of aibo, we receive comments from owners who are amazed by the growth of the robot, remarking that their aibo is completely different now from when they first purchased them. Because of this continuous growth and change, we are able to create a unique product for each owner by providing them with their own time and experiences with aibo. That, I believe, is what sets aibo apart from other products."

Furthermore, in addition to its individual daily growth, aibo continues to grow through functional updates. Through regular fan meetings and posts on social networking sites, the developers strive to gain direct feedback from aibo owners, and by continuing to meticulously update aibo with new technologies that meet the owners' needs, they aim to make aibo an ever more beloved partner.
For example, the "aibo's food" feature update from 2019 is an augmented reality (AR) feature that makes it look like aibo is eating its food, which is intended to increase the bond of owners and aibo through the shared experience of enjoying a meal together.

At the time, using AR technology to represent the act of eating was a rare example of its kind, says Nagae. "It was interesting to use the technology in a different way than usual," she adds. "With that kind of idea in mind, we are doing our best to put out entertaining updates for aibo."

What aibo, loved by people, can do

As aibo, which aims to be a robot loved by people, continues to grow, it is starting to be used in areas outside of the home, where it was originally envisioned, due to its therapeutic effects. A typical example is its use in the medical and research fields as part of social contribution activities. This all started with a phone call to Sony in 2017, when the company announced the re-launch of aibo.

The caller was the current director of the National Center for Child Health and Development (NCCHD) in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo, who said, "I called after seeing the number in Sony's PR magazine." The center, which specializes in pediatric, perinatal, obstetric, and maternity care, cares for many children who have been hospitalized for long periods of time with chronic illnesses. Many of these children have never been able to play with a real dog before and rarely see their parents, and the director wanted to know if aibo could be used as a therapy for these children. Yabe recalls how he felt at the time. "I was very surprised when we got the call and they told us that they wanted to use aibo for research at a hospital. We were not sure if it would really be effective in the medical field, and at first, we were a bit apprehensive. Still, we started working on it, and later other hospitals contacted us saying they wanted to use aibo for research or introduce it to their medical fields, and the scope of our social contribution activities thus expanded."

As a result of research conducted with various medical institutions, it has now been confirmed that aibo has the potential to contribute to and be utilized in the medical and healthcare fields, as well as to reduce stress and have a healing effect on patients. In a study conducted with the NCCHD, aibo, with its AI, was found to be effective in sessions with hospitalized children who were suffering from the developmental and emotional effects of stress caused by loneliness, anxiety, and limitations in daily life, serving the function of a supportive companion who facilitated more connection with others and the expression of repressed emotions.

Nagae emphasizes, "Because aibo can bond with people, it can have a healing effect on patients. While aibo actively interacts with people by approaching them and offering its paw, it does not speak, so there are no correct answers. People who come into contact with aibo can interpret the situation in their own way. As a result, I think that the patients accept aibo as a companion who accepts them as they are and with whom they can interact in a stress-free way."

Because it is a product that relies on communication with people, aibo can help reduce stress for patients. Furthermore, because it is a robot, it can be introduced into hospitals where hygiene management is essential. This is truly a social contribution activity unique to aibo.

Yabe emphasizes that such activities are meaningless if they are done only once. "We have been working on the idea that it is necessary to make such activities continuous," he says, "and we are determined to continue. The most affirming moment for me was when we created a tab for 'Social Contribution Activities' on the aibo website. This meant that there were a lot of examples of this kind of work, and I was happy not only that our work was being recognized, but also that we would be able to continue."

aibo continues to evolve as a robot that is loved, expanding its field of activity from each home to social contribution activities. Yabe and Nagae say that since the experience of spending time with owners and aibo together is the value of aibo itself, they would like to continue to place importance on the environment surrounding aibo, including its owners. "Of course, we will continue to make various updates," says Nagae. "In addition, we have recently started an initiative to encourage aibo owners to create fan art featuring aibo, which we then make into merchandise, and we are challenging ourselves to create new content from the aibo community. In this way, we would like to continue to expand the possibilities of aibo by not only advancing the product of aibo itself, but also by enlivening all the communities surrounding aibo, including owners, corporate use and social contribution."