Is AIBO returning from the dead?

You heard that right, folks. Supposedly, AIBO is back... with a vengeance. According to rumors, the feisty-but-killed robo-dog from Sony is making a comeback with a new paintjob and whole slew of fresh features. First and foremost, the re-upped model will be tailored to interface wirelessly with your PSP and PS3, will have a built in headcam which utilizes a motion sensor and facial recognition, and can stream its POV video over WiFi to your system. In addition, you'll apparently get to remotely trigger the bot with your handheld and control its movements, plus you can set it to "guard" your house (though we're pretty sure most enterprising burglars will just turn the little dude on its side if provoked). Of course, right now this is speculation -- Stuff Magazine's piece on the subject (above) gives the rumored bot a 53-percent chance of becoming a reality -- but there certainly seems to be some meat behind these murmurs. C'mon Sony -- the pup deserves a second chance.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

[amiga_tone @ Dec 9th 2007 6:23PM]

Your kidding me, they are using facebook for photos now? Do they realise it's not a public viewer - i.e. you have to register to view these pics.

[quomen @ Dec 9th 2007 6:30PM]

Yeah facebook for photos public viewer ie. u have to register.. wait.. HUH?!

[Derek @ Dec 9th 2007 6:31PM]

http://i11.tinypic.com/6jwkuft.jpg

Happy?

[Rob @ Dec 9th 2007 6:33PM]

I'm confused, this is the same picture from the post here on Engadget. Are we supposed to be able to see more pictures? Of the same page?

[R @ Dec 9th 2007 8:29PM]

That thing looks like a dog the Cylons would have (the 1978 BSG Cylons, that is).

[Blackstar @ Dec 10th 2007 10:36AM]

By your command. Ruff.

[Rob @ Dec 9th 2007 6:32PM]

Oh man, this is going to be sweet. As long as the connection is secured, I wouldn't mind being able to control this puppy, literally, remotely via my PSP or, perhaps, any browser and keep an eye on things while I'm away from home.

[NineT9 @ Dec 9th 2007 8:26PM]

yea, the dog is actually a really really neat idea. I played with one once and it was amazing what it can do, the only downside is of course, price. but obviously this isn't geared towards everyone, so to those who can afford it, it'll be an awesome toy...

Just rememeber this isn't marketed towards everyone or even most people... the people who will get it will love it

[Chuckles McGee @ Dec 9th 2007 10:10PM]

Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology. We can make the world's second bionic dog. AIBO will be that dog. Better than he was before. Better, stronger, faster.

[David @ Dec 9th 2007 6:32PM]

When I was 11 I stole my parents credit card and ordered an AIBO. Sony called to confirm my order was ready to ship, and I got to explain a $2,000 charge on my parents credit card :D

[Jonathan Keim @ Dec 9th 2007 6:46PM]

lol, did you get your pet and do you still have it?

[mhyiu0167 @ Dec 11th 2007 12:53PM]

you sir are my hero

[Homeboy @ Dec 9th 2007 6:36PM]

How about some useful features this time like the ability to play a unbearable high pitch noise which can only be heard by dogs. + Dual shock perhaps??

[Craig @ Dec 9th 2007 6:37PM]

i'm pretty sure most enterprising burglars would burgle the aibo

[Alan Partridge @ Dec 10th 2007 12:26AM]

Even if you flip them over, they can get back up!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwchJ84s91E

Also this is the best AIBO video ever!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0m2LVj1CNPw

[frappe987 @ Dec 10th 2007 5:52PM]

I agree, it would be like the cash coming to me!!!

[Meredith Baxter Berney @ Dec 9th 2007 6:44PM]

Give your kick a refrigerator box to play with. They're more fun.

[skhawaja @ Dec 9th 2007 6:50PM]

meh - The photo is cool - but nothing on the stuffmagazine website or their search shows anything with AIBO or SONY for that matter - even the stuff.tv website doesn't show anything newer than 2005.

I can't find anything other than this same crappy photo all over the internet.

KOTAKU actually grabbed it for some close up viewing - but they also clipped out the text UNDER the damn picture, wtf.

Anyways, here's the link:

http://cache.kotaku.com/assets/resources/2007/12/sonyaibops.JPG

[skhawaja @ Dec 9th 2007 6:52PM]

I call it a photochop at the very least, why would Stuff get the SCOOP of the month from SONY?

This would be all over Japan wouldn't it?

[TrafficGeek @ Dec 9th 2007 6:57PM]

This version looks pissed! Or sorta like a cross between the original AIBO and a Cylon. Is this deliberate or a reflection of it's first version getting shafted?

Guard my house? Is there an attachment for a taser or something heftier? Makes for some cool YouTube vids with the build in head-cam.

[monkfishbandana @ Dec 10th 2007 2:49AM]

I see a new "World's Scariest AIBO Videos" emerging soon!








And if Sergeant John Burnell says no...

[monkfishbandana @ Dec 10th 2007 2:50AM]

I see a new "World's Scariest AIBO Videos" emerging soon!








And if Sergeant John Burnell says no...

[monkfishbandana @ Dec 10th 2007 2:51AM]

That felt weird. Sorry.

[Frankenstein Black @ Dec 10th 2007 10:29AM]

"DON’T TASE ME BO!" LMAO!
Seriously, if this Aibo hits for around $599 American? SOLD!! How can you beat an autonomous, self recharging, camera toting, taser equipped, poop free home guardian. I’m just saying...

[Blake Bowen @ Dec 9th 2007 7:02PM]

Yeah, the first word that popped into my head when I saw it was "Cylon."

[Crayola @ Dec 9th 2007 7:06PM]

When the first Aibo came out, I couldn't afford the $2,000 price tag, but since my AAPL stock gone thru the roof, a pair of these doesn't seem expensive. My bet is Sony is going to allow maximum hackability to ensure instead cult status, if a robot vacuum can get so much love, Aibo does that many times over

[ukickmydog @ Dec 9th 2007 7:17PM]

lol, aibo is going to save playstation? give me some games, not more addon crap

[bluesky_v2.01 @ Dec 9th 2007 7:23PM]

@ukickmydog,
oh shut up, seriously. Stop pretending like PS3 came out yesterday. It has plenty of good games and definitely doesn't need to be saved.
I'm not a PS3 fanboy but it's ignorant haters like you who p*ss me off the most.

[Roofus @ Dec 10th 2007 5:08PM]

He wasn't outright bashing the PS3, if you look at the line in the photo right under the AIBO it clearly says "Everyone's favorite robo-dog is back, and on a mission to save the Playstation." On another note Sony should pursue a new AIBO full force. Yeah Sony, keep digging that hole you're standing in.

[Jaimi @ Dec 9th 2007 8:45PM]

@bluesky:
You're the idiot here, not him. "Mission to save the playstation" is in the picture.

[c.Lake @ Dec 9th 2007 9:14PM]

@Blusky v2.0

You sound like a fanboy, and the games are OK, they're not great. "uLickMyDog is right, the PS3 DOESN'T need anymore "Add-on" crap. Certainly not some stupid, 2 grand, robot dog that you'd just get bored with inside of 2 days.

[ray @ Dec 10th 2007 12:22AM]

@ c.Lake
"Certainly not some stupid, 2 grand, robot dog that you'd just get bored with inside of 2 days."

what thing doesn't. you'd get bored with your girlfriend after playing around a bit and spent millions.

[bluesky_v2.01 @ Dec 9th 2007 7:18PM]

Wow, this might be the coolest, the most useless and the most expensive gadget I've ever seen.

[Low @ Dec 9th 2007 10:57PM]

Welcome to Engadget!

[Rynth @ Dec 10th 2007 4:37AM]

Aiyyyy!

[mark @ Dec 9th 2007 7:26PM]

I think the true question for this product is:


will it blend??

[thethirdmoose @ Dec 9th 2007 9:48PM]

No, it is not. The real question is, "how long ago should people have stopped using that meme?"

By the way, it will blend. Everything blends.

[m16 @ Dec 9th 2007 7:27PM]

is that legal to just scan a magazine and put its content up on a website.

Im thinking copywrite infringement.....?

[ratnikh @ Dec 9th 2007 7:37PM]

It's "copyright" and yes it's legal to use a photo or portion of copyrighted material for journalistic purpose. An entire article, on the other hand, would be pushing it.

[Neil Duckett @ Dec 9th 2007 7:33PM]

Haven't heard of a new AIBO and i live in Japan, will do some research on it though.

[3rdsun @ Dec 9th 2007 7:34PM]

Put Aibo and Rolly in the same room and Aibo would go nuts chasing it

[Gibson @ Dec 9th 2007 7:35PM]

I don't want a dog-shaped computer. I want a robot that behaves like an animal in a believable fashion. That PlayStation tie-in is just laughable.

[paul34 @ Dec 9th 2007 7:41PM]

Agreed. I'm still looking for something that can almost be a real pet replacement. Come on, Sony.

I don't think its really a big money loser to do such a thing, either; it would provide much-needed research into artificial intelligence - something which I'm sure we can all agree is getting to be more and more important everyday.

[Anthony @ Dec 20th 2007 11:26AM]

no, i dont think its tie in to playstation is laughable, sony sold their robotics division to toyota or something like that, and if they want to bring aibo back up somewhere, playstation seems the most logical, because you dont really want a robot dog interacting with your undercabinet radio, or your blu-ray disc player. also utilizing great features for the benifit to playstation is a great thing. i see potential for aibo ps. i'd get one in a flash if it came out.

[hh83917 @ Dec 9th 2007 7:39PM]

I like to know... If you put a CELL processor in a robot dog, will it cook dinner for me?...

[John @ Dec 9th 2007 8:12PM]

Heck yeah bring it to market. But somewhere well south of the old $2k price tag. Wayyyy too much $ for what it is.

[paul34 @ Dec 9th 2007 9:20PM]

Well, if it truly approached an actual dog (functionality/behavior/intelligence wise), then I'd say it's ok, considering the amount of money you spend on a real dog through its lifetime, or even a year.

[David Clark @ Dec 9th 2007 8:13PM]

Speaking of back from the dead, I got a card in the mail saying Stuff Magazine was belly up? Now I'm just jealous that somewhere out there got the latest issue and I didn't.. :-/

[Pretol @ Dec 9th 2007 8:43PM]

If it could carry a beer in the front "paws" while walking on the rear... And wash the dishes... I'd consider it

[chucknorris @ Dec 10th 2007 12:04AM]

Isn't that what wives are for?