AIBO matches real dogs in chasing away loneliness, research claims

While robot / human relations seem to be fairly solid at the moment, it looks like the fight has long since been on between canines and their robotic counterparts. Some researchers at Saint Louis University compared Sony's AIBO with a mutt named Sparky at three different nursing homes, to see how residents would respond. Maybe Sparky just isn't that affable, but the researchers found that AIBO and his living breathing competition were both equally successful in alleviating loneliness. AIBO also has the added advantage of, erm, cleanliness, and is easier for senior citizens to take care of, so it looks like Sparky is pretty much out of a job. Get used to it, buddy, it's called outsourcing.

[Via Tech Digest]

[JosephMohmed @ Feb 28th 2008 11:26AM]

first toast

[JosephMohmed @ Feb 28th 2008 11:27AM]

epic bread

[oled @ Feb 28th 2008 11:48AM]

Dogbots are for kids aren't they?

[OneLove @ Feb 28th 2008 2:57PM]

Yo momma so fat...

[Wonderkid @ Feb 28th 2008 11:27AM]

How sad. Real animals teach responsibility - and require and offer love. So who will love the real animals when the dogbots take over? On a humerus note, if a dotty elderly person goes back home to Sparky, how will he or she react when said dotty Joe tries to insert a set of AAAs up Sparky's !*&@*?

[Zac @ Feb 28th 2008 11:54AM]

What is 250 lb elderly woman going to learn about responsibility? Isn't that a train that sailed away long ago?

[Boynamedsue @ Feb 28th 2008 12:17PM]

@Zac Re: figures of speech

You're doing it wrong.

[Paul @ Feb 28th 2008 12:25PM]

Yep, Zac, that ship left the station.

[E71 @ Feb 28th 2008 1:45PM]

It is a sad day for real animals everywhere. :'(

[Brian @ Feb 28th 2008 11:28AM]

If I'm lonely and you put a new toy in front of me (whether it be a robot dog, a new computer, or a video game) I'm going to become preoccupied with it for a couple of hours, a couple of days, maybe even a couple of weeks. It doesn't solve my loneliness. It just keeps me entertained so I don't dwell on the fact that I'm lonely.

[Sauerkraut @ Feb 28th 2008 2:21PM]

yeah exactly, an animal is unpredictable, and that makes it fun. A robot can only be programmed to do so many things right now, and what it can do isn't to sincere -_-

[Pro7 @ Feb 28th 2008 11:28AM]

Just sick.

[John Johnson @ Feb 28th 2008 11:32AM]

The only companion that makes you appear more lonely.

[Sauerkraut @ Feb 28th 2008 2:22PM]

LOL I know! Imagine if someone walks in with you saying, "Com'on bolts time for a walk"

[iptydafu @ Feb 28th 2008 11:32AM]

-bet that parakeet's irate.

[Balam Herrera @ Feb 28th 2008 11:36AM]

Why did Engadget turn off comments on the post titled "Border virtual fence project delayed again until at least 2011" by Ryan????

That Ryan Block is a big censor of this blog. Someone should teach him a few things about freedom of speech.

[Mike @ Feb 28th 2008 8:25PM]

Wow, you honestly think that disabling comments on a website is a violation of freedom of speech?

[eggothewaffle @ Feb 28th 2008 11:39AM]

I, for one, welcome the advent of our dogbot overlorfs.

[Dr Buzz0 @ Feb 28th 2008 11:40AM]

Anyone who believes this has never had a dog. There is simply no way a machine could ever have the genuine emotions, affection, needs and loyalty of a dog. At least it could not do so without quantum leaps in artificial intelligence. If you can honestly get the same thing from a piece of plastic then you're probably very very profoundly senile.

[Andy S. @ Feb 28th 2008 12:35PM]

You're right. A robot could never provide the sorts of things that a real pet provides:

* another mouth to feed
* something else to wash
* something that you have to take outside even in inclement weather
* unsightly hair all over carpets and furniture
* the pervading smell of urine all over your house
* pet deposits at rental properties
* pet medical bills
* something to kennel if you take a vacation
* something that will eventually die
* something that, when dead, you'll have to pay to bury/cremate/etc.

Whee!

[BigD145 @ Feb 28th 2008 4:45PM]

You forgot: Something else made of plastic to give you yet another cancer.

[Rainier @ Feb 28th 2008 11:42AM]

Gimme some shugah!

[NHAnimator @ Feb 28th 2008 11:42AM]

How did SHE score an AIBO?

[Tameside Eye @ Feb 28th 2008 11:45AM]

She is old... she probably thinks it is a bucket of KFC or some nice watermelon.

[Spyvie @ Feb 28th 2008 11:53AM]

asshole

[buddythompson @ Feb 28th 2008 12:09PM]

You sir are a bag made for the purpose of douching. The Brand Massengill comes to mind.

[slyd3z @ Feb 28th 2008 1:15PM]

Yes, Sir. Nothing like making willfully abrasive comments while cowering behind the anonymity offered by teh intarwebs...

[bethel03 @ Feb 28th 2008 11:48AM]

You know your old and ugly when...



Just put me out of my misery when I get there.

[EricLMcCormick @ Feb 28th 2008 11:53AM]

Too bad Sony stopped making them. Many other companies ahve tried to reproduce stuff like it but nothing so far is as flexable of a system as AIBO. I guess I'll have to wait till Honda makes something...

[darkstar @ Feb 28th 2008 11:59AM]

someone with a real pet, please tell me:
1. is it kinda disgusting that your dog doesnt wipe itsself after pooping??
2. nevermind, i forgot all the other questions i wanna ask

[darkstar @ Feb 28th 2008 12:04PM]

i remember now!
2. why do houses with pets stink??? its because of number 1 isnt it??

[Magallanes @ Feb 28th 2008 12:15PM]

You can put your dog on backyard or tame that poop on the neighbor garden.

[Barry @ Feb 28th 2008 12:50PM]

Dog butts don't always hold the poop like ours do. They do sometimes and it's pretty gross because you have to hold them down and cut it out of their fur (and they hate that).
Some dogs do wipe themselves though, unfortunately it's on the carpet when they come in.

[a1 @ Feb 28th 2008 12:53PM]

That's kindof disgusting, yes... But it's not as bad as when they eat your girlfriends hair and have a sort of pearl necklace coming out that only gets 3/4 the way out without manual 'ass'istance. (hate that).

However, all of us used to crap into little bags that were attached to us at the time, if you recall (or not). I'm sure your parents thought that was just delightful as well.

But I love my dog. She'll eat intruders or at least give me enough time to get the heater :)

Dogs are good!

[eugene @ Feb 28th 2008 3:45PM]

Uhm, your dog isn't wiping his ass, he's trying to express his anal gland which is full and causing him irritation. Go see your vet, he/she can take care of it for you and teach you how to do it yourself. Though, it's pretty fraking foul.

[Magallanes @ Feb 28th 2008 12:12PM]

"Maybe Sparky just isn't that affable, but the researchers found that AIBO and his living breathing competition were both equally successful in alleviating loneliness"

Really hard to believed on this claim.
A good dog can detect when you are sad or even ill and act according the situation, helping even better that a expensive (and usually useless) psychologist, drugs or alcohol.

[Jonathan Keim @ Feb 28th 2008 12:40PM]

Interesting...

[NineT9 @ Feb 28th 2008 1:30PM]

best thing about those AIBO's is you can program them, change the audio/voice of the dog...

Turn that AIBO into the 'Gay Robot' talking robot from Adam Sandlers CD :D

'Hey guyths can anyone use a blowjob?' :D

Or even program the dog to move into certain positions, etc

YouTube AIBO, and youll see what some people have done... i haven't seen anything funny, most people have only programmed it for stupid voice crap and waht not, but hey the potential is there :)

[HelveticaBlitz @ Feb 28th 2008 3:11PM]

Video documentation of the tension between traditional best-friend-to-man and dogkind's competition, the household robot: http://www.overlay.tv/overlay/247

Now off to look up papers on the psychology of companionship and feeling needed.

[Dave @ Feb 28th 2008 3:14PM]

This research is seriously flawed. Electronics frustrate and annoy people--particularly the elderly.

Anyway, why not create robotic elderly and phase them out, too? Then the robotic elderly can be entertained by the robotic dogs. Perfect future.

[Lemmiwinks @ Feb 28th 2008 4:29PM]

"I love you, Robopuppy!"

"Licking complete."

[mrpoo @ Feb 28th 2008 4:54PM]

Anybody notice the dead parakeet's cage in the background, long forgotten now that AIBO has jazzed up the place? Maybe little puppy needs some competition from a Wowee Dragonfly.

[Jon Doe. @ Feb 28th 2008 7:52PM]

Ahh nothing says love like snuggling up with your tin canine companion. Seriously I have a very hard time believing this.

[Jon Doe. @ Feb 28th 2008 7:53PM]

Ahh nothing says love like snuggling up with your tin canine companion. Seriously I have a very hard time believing this.

[Munky @ Feb 28th 2008 11:01PM]

If Aibo works that well, imagine if they had Teddy from AI.