Where's my damn robotic puppy?

[rcjordan]

8-10 years ago, my elderly/disabled mom wanted a dog for company but knew she couldn't care for it. I would have bought her a (already discontinued) Sony Aibo in a heartbeat, but she wanted it to be life-like (furry) rather than techno.  I scoured the internet for months, then years, thinking that this 'comfort tech' was surely just around the corner.

What's the hold-up? Just stick some fake fur and eyeballs on a self-docking Roomba module and let it come out (autonomously) and bark and wag its tail. That's all I needed. It's a decade later, so maybe throw in a little AI to make it come when called.

Damn it, still makes me mad. Ping me if/when there is such a thing.

[Drastic]

A friend let's things like this drive what she next mfgs and sells via ecomm.

[Rupert]

A Cat work for you?

http://www.robotshop.com/en/hasbro-silver-white-cat-interactive-companion.html

[rcjordan]

>cat

Close. Almost bought one when they first came out just to see where it failed.  Pleo was closer, just needed to be a puppy instead of a reptile.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleo

[rcjordan]

NOT a @#$%^ puppy!  Looks like a damn bowling pin.

http://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/mayfield-robotics-kuri-face-voice-ifttt-update/

[littleman]

There is a puppy version too from Gimp's link:
http://www.robotshop.com/en/hasbro-golden-pup-interactive-robot-toy-dog.html

[littleman]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNNK6Cpon3Y <= video of it

[rcjordan]

Thanks. I checked out all the Hasbro line when it was released. Crude animatrons, at best.  Not even close to semi-autonomous. The first thing to look for is a self-recharging dock, like the Roomba has.

[rcjordan]

<added>

I have one of these. Even if it's over 16 yrs old, it's better than the toys out there now.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tekno_the_Robotic_Puppy

[rcjordan]

https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/miro-robot-dog-elderly-care/

[ergophobe]

I can't resist...

You know, the best friend I ever had was a dog
It sounds like a cliche unless it's happened to you
Some days that dog was the only reason I even got out of bed
That dog went everywhere with me
And then I heard the crack addicts
Were stealin' dogs and selling them for animal research
It sounded like an urban myth to me
Like the mouse in the Coke bottle
But I started leavin' her at home after that
You know, Paula was my wife for a while
She ran off to Paris with the great grandson of Van Gogh
A cartoonist who did fashion graphics for Le Monde
When Paula left she took my dog
I never saw her again
Except in the court during the custody battle
She won and got to keep the dog
And I didn't speak to anyone for months

-- Dan Bern, "Estelle"

[rcjordan]

Sony's Aibo Robotic Dog Is Back

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-11-01/sony-s-aibo-robotic-dog-is-back-with-new-tricks-for-ai-era

[rcjordan]

So, here's a robotic cat you can 3D print


https://thenextweb.com/creativity/2018/03/05/forget-aibo-heres-opencat-a-3d-printable-pi-powered-open-source-cat-robot/

[rcjordan]

Sony sells thousands of Aibo robot dogs as it considers US launch

http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2018/05/08/sony-sells-thousands-aibo-robot-dogs-as-it-considers-us-launch.html


Other articles have said it requires a subscription service. No thanks.

[rcjordan]

Cloud-Connected, AI-Powered Aibo Coming to US for $2,899

https://www.tomshardware.com/news/sony-aibo-specs-pricing,37687.html#xtor=RSS-5

No cloud! I want it smart enough to go for my jugular all on its own.