Showing posts with label Aibo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Aibo. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Robots as companions

Irving and Edna discuss keeping pets. E-pets.

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Irving: Would you rather have a human-type robot as a companion, or a robot-type robot?


Edna: Machines are machines. A robot.


Irving: Most people answer they'd like a robot that looks like a human as a companion. Like C3PO.


Edna: So I’m abnormal?


Irving: I didn’t say that. But you'd prefer R2D2?


Edna: In a tight spot, yes. R2D2 was stable. He ran on wheels. He was dependable. He could clean up. If he squeaked, a bit of oil did the trick. Unlike C3PO, he didn’t talk in a quavering voice and wobble when he walked.


 

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Voice-over

Aibo was a popular robot dog. Ran about and arfed. Edna evidently prefers something more practical. Something that will vacuum the carpet. And as a modern female human, she still really doesn’t need an out-of-work robot who majored in philosophy and then trained as a butler to dress her. That she can still do herself.


Nevertheless, her response is not in line with that of most people who look for human characteristics in a robot. Two eyes. Two arms. A voice. Legs or wheels, below the belt doesn't seem to matter. WALL-E?


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Friday, August 1, 2008

Robot dogs robot cats robot husbands

Murasaki and Akane used to keep pets, now they have children.

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Murasaki: The good thing about Aibo was that I could get him to mind the baby. But my husband wanted to program Aibo to fetch and messed up his software and the Sony helpdesk isn’t manned anymore so he just sits in a cupboard now.


Akane: I’m seriously thinking of getting a Dream Cat Smile.


Murasaki: They say they act so much like a real cat they’re creepy.


Akane: But no mess to clean up, no expensive vet bills. How about robot babies?


Murasaki: All we need is for Sony or Sega to invent a robot husband who would go to work every day and come home and clean up for us…


Akane: …and if he complained we could just switch him off and put him in a cupboard. Ha, ha.

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Voiceover

Sony stopped producing Aibo the robot dog in 2006, which annoyed quite a few people. What if God stopped producing children? There’d be some testy mothers, then.


But along comes Sega with a robot cat, see how it suits Chris Davies at http://www.slashgear.com/slashgear-review-yume-neko-smile-sega-toys-robot-cat-part-1-203981.php