Jan 24 (Japan Times) - Sony Corp. on Wednesday showed off the latest tricks of its signature robotic dog, Aibo, including a new security capability of patrolling inside a house.
Teaming up with security company Secom Co. Ltd., the Japanese electronics giant will roll out the new roaming security feature for free in a system software update scheduled for mid-February.
Specifically, up to 10 names and faces can be registered on the My Aibo app, and the user’s Aibo can then be programmed to walk around predetermined areas in a home or other structure at designated times to check whether any of the registered individuals are present. The user will subsequently receive a report from the Aibo.
The patrolling task is the first feature that showcases the Aibo’s ability to remember and recognize spaces, said Izumi Kawanishi, Sony’s senior vice president in charge of the artificial intelligence robotics business.
“The concept is one can have fun while feeling a little bit of sense of security by living with an Aibo,†Kawanishi said. “This might as well be called as ‘securi-tainment’ combining ‘security’ and ‘entertainment.'â€
Kawanishi also announced Sony will release a premium service in which a user is able to remotely instruct Aibo to go into and search a house while the person watches transmitted images in real time. The Aibo will also send out push notifications when it comes across individuals the user wants to find, such as when parents want to check if their children made it home safely. The service will begin in June and cost ¥1,480 ($13.50) a month.
