Sony Opens Robotic Dog Aibo to Developers

Sony is opening up its consumer robotic dog, Aibo, to developers. It's also shipping software with "several new whimsical capabilities," like eating virtual cookies from its owner and potty training.

With the beagle-like Aibo, it turns out you can teach an old dog new tricks. The robo-doge goes way back:

• 1999: Sony launched Aibo. The first 3,000 units sold out in 20 minutes.
• 2006: Sony discontinued Aibo and pulled support.
• 2017: Sony announced a second-gen Aibo reboot that went on sale last year.

Second-gen Aibo may not have its predecessor's novelty factor, but it is coming of age with more mature AI and robotics technology. And by offering a drag-and-drop visual coding option, Sony is hoping that more than just programming whizzes tinker with Aibo.

Zoom out: Fellow robot maker Misty Robotics is also treating its robot as a programmable platform. By allowing developers to directly build new "skills" or "tricks" on their robots, these companies are increasing the chances someone creates applications that make the robot more popular with consumers.