Now that Honda Motor's humanoid robot Asimo has several jobs, Sony's dog-like Aibo is looking for work.
Rampaging packs of savage Aibos set to stalk the streets
Three Japanese companies unveiled a system that can wirelessly program the Aibo's movements at Business Show 2002, held this week in Tokyo.
The "Watson" system can pre-program the movements of several Aibo robots and then wirelessly set them in motion. It was developed by I Planning, Graphic Research and Navigation Networks, who worked with Sony on the development of Aibo.
The robots' movements are plotted on a PC. That data can then be sent via a wireless LAN to up to 10 Aibos at a time. For example, the system can command the Aibos to start dancing at a set time and to stop three minutes later, and then to start waving half an hour after that.
"We could build this system because every Aibo has its own IP address," Ryo Ishizone, chief executive officer of I Planning said. "You can program the Aibo's movements for as long as its battery lasts."
The three companies are hoping the system will be used for entertaining visitors at a company or hospital reception desk, and to attract attention at an event, Ishizone said.
The Aibo ERS-210 and 220, which are equipped with a wireless LAN card slot, can be programmed using the system, and the companies are planning to develop a Bluetooth-enabled version for the Bluetooth-embedded Aibo ERS-311B and 312B, Ishizone said.
