Related History • Toy Fair 2001 • Robotics

From Inventors' review of Toy Fair 2001:

The term "pet owner" took on a completely new meaning at Toy Fair 2001, with the virtual stampede of robotic dogs and cats in the marketplace. The "Robotic Virtual Pets" sub-category of the toy market jumped from $5 million to $159 million in one year. My choice for the best virtual pet at Toy Fair 2001 had to be Sony's AIBO ERS-210. Sony claims that AIBO can mimic free will and emotion. I spent an hour playing with an AIBO at the Toy Fair and I guarantee you that it is impossible not to treat AIBO as if it were an intelligent life form. "Good Boy!" AIBO can learn whatever name you give your AIBO. With built-in voice recognition, AIBO can learn up to fifty words and talk back to you in a special AIBO tonal language. You command your pet to follow orders including "take a picture." AIBO has a built in camera. That is something your real life pet cannot do. 

Important Historical Inventors: Toshitada Doi - Patents
The World's First Robot with a Personality - by Toshitada Doi
AIBO Website
AIBO Fan Club and Web Ring
Aibo In Motion: The Gallery of Digital Art

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