[BusinessTeam] We have to get one for the office - it can be the nano mascot

Message-ID: <6B75EF096AE0BE428B8CEDEA89C5F6327822A7@exchange01.lab49.com> · Fri Oct 13 14:46:02 2000 UTC

Sony unveils new Aibo pet robot 
by Martyn Williams, IDG News Service\Tokyo Bureau 
October 12, 2000, 00:14 	
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TOKYO - Renewing a vow to make entertainment robots a viable business,
Sony Corp. has taken the wraps off an improved version of its Aibo
entertainment robot.

The new ERS-210 model, shipments of which will begin in December, is based
on the appearance of a baby lion and features more movement and sensors
than the first model, a greater range of emotions, limited voice
recognition and the ability to take digital photographs.

 Silver Aibo <http://www.idg.net/english/images/IDGNS/aibo.bmp> 

The robots can now be given a name to which they will respond and, as they
develop, will be able to understand up to about 50 words, according to
Sony executives at a Tokyo press conference held to unveil the new
product. The voice recognition will tie in with another new feature -- the
digital camera. Users just need say "take a photo" and the robot will snap
a picture of what it can see with a color camera built into its nose.

Other significant differences lie in the way data is transferred from a
personal computer to the robot. Sony has installed a Memory Stick slot and
also equipped the device with a wireless LAN (local area network) adapter.
In addition to simple data control, the latter also allows for real-time
control of the Aibo through a PC.

The technical enhancements are all aimed at making Aibo a more intelligent
robot and improving user interaction, but perhaps the most significant
difference lies in the marketing strategy.

The company is keen to make entertainment robots into a real business and
as such has formed an autonomous division, the "Entertainment Robot
Company," to focus on both hardware and software development and lead the
company's charge into this new market.

The first big change is the price. Sony has brought this down
considerably, from 250,000 yen to 150,000 yen ($2,315 to $1,389) for the
new model. In the U.S. it will sell for a largely comparable price of
$1,500 and in Europe for 1,500 euros ($1,305).

It will also be available continuously, unlike last time, when Sony
restricted the number of robots available or limited the time during which
they could be ordered. Consumers can begin placing orders from Nov. 16,
with first shipments arriving in early December.

Aibo is also being taken on the street. Department stores and shops such
as Sony Plaza will establish Aibo areas within their stores where users
can experience the robots first hand and play with them. For many
consumers, this will be their first opportunity to see the robot in real
life.

Sony is betting the combination of the lower price, continuous
availability and their presence in shops will boost sales -- higher sales
are vital if Sony is to make entertainment robots into a profitable
product line and grow the business. Executives were unwilling to provide
any sales estimates, although they did say the Nagano, Japan, factory
where Aibo is made has a maximum capacity of 60,000 units per month.

Sony first put Aibo on sale in June 1999 and made headlines after selling
5,000 of the devices in minutes through its Web site, despite their $2,500
price tag.

More were put on sale in November last year. Then, the company agreed to
accept all orders for a limited period and then dole out the 10,000
available robots by lottery. It was the November sale that woke the
company up to something that had been missed during the June sale -- the
vast majority of the demand for Aibo was from Japan and not overseas. Of
the 135,000 orders received, 132,000 orders came from Japan, 2,000 from
North America and 1,000 from Europe.

Aibo went on sale for the third time in February. All orders were honored
but had to be received within a 10-day period.

Sony, in Tokyo, can be contacted at http://www.sony.co.jp/.

Luke Flemmer
VP Strategic Ventures
nano
phone: (212) 402-7870
fax:      (212) 430-6374
www.nano.com <http://www.nano.com/> 