AIBO: Toward the Era of Digital Creatures

Abstract

The 21st century will become an era of autonomous robots that help and support people. Thus, they will be considered as partners of human beings. In this paper, the author introduces AIBO, the first product model of Robot Entertainment Systems. The main application of this robot is a pet-style robot, which must maintain a lifelike appearance. The author suggests how to maximize the complexity of responses and movements to solve the problem of substantially increasing the lifelike appearance of autonomous robots. The technologies used in AIBO are also described. Although AIBO is not intended for service or hazardous work, the development of AIBO is a major step toward a new era of autonomous robots in the new century.