About

About aibo

aibo is a four-legged companion robot with articulated movement, cameras, microphones, touch sensors and expressive eyes. It recognises people, responds to voice and touch and develops behaviours through repeated interaction within the household.

On-device control manages movement and immediate responses. Sony’s AI Cloud Plan supports personality development, data backup, updates and mobile-app functions. The application provides photos, settings and remote interaction, while accessories and downloadable behaviours extend the companion experience.

Capabilities

Source-backed capabilities

Companion and care support
Claimed - Recognizes household members, responds when called, performs commanded tricks and reacts to petting. - environment: home
Source

Research

Robot Therapy Aids Mental Health in Patients with Hematological Malignancy During Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in a Protective Isolation Unit
2024-02-27 - Research Publication - A randomized clinical study tests whether aibo interaction can reduce stress during stem-cell transplantation in protective isolation.
Source
Designing Man's New Best Friend: Enhancing Human-Robot Dog Interaction through Dog-Like Framing and Appearance
2022-02-08 - Research Publication - A controlled study separates the effects of puppy-like framing and furry appearance on how people interact with aibo.
Source
The Pilot Study of Group Robot Intervention on Pediatric Inpatients and Their Caregivers, Using 'New aibo'
2021-10-30 - Research Publication - A pediatric-ward pilot examines group robot intervention with the ERS-1000 aibo for chronically ill children and their caregivers.
Source

Notes

Profile notes

aibo's functions depend partly on a paid cloud service
reviewed 2026-07-19 - Sony sells the current aibo as physical hardware, but personality development, data backup, app functions and connected features depend on the AI Cloud Plan. Some core movement remains on the robot while the full experience is service-dependent.
Source