Sales of Sony’s new Aibo robot dog off to solid start

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Sales of Sony Corp.’s new artificial intelligence-equipped Aibo robot dog are off to a solid start in Japan, with the electronics giant saying that 11,111 units were sold in the three months since its release in January.

Sony said Monday that the new Aibo — an upgrade of the version launched in 1999 and discontinued in 2006 — is seeing greater than expected demand, prompting the company to consider boosting output.

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Sony sold a total of 150,000 of the previous models.

The Aibo uses two cameras — one embedded in its nose and the other above its tail — and a range of sensors to discern its owner and the environment, expressing itself through body language, barking and its large digital eyes.

It carries a price tag of ¥198,000, excluding tax, plus ¥90,000 for a required three-year cloud subscription service.

While it is available only in Japan, Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai said in January the company is considering releases in other markets including the United States and China.

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