I think that is a really great idea however I feel I need to point a few things out:
1) Sony is a huge company with a large variety of other options for stable profit than Aibo. Because of this it will not revisit Aibo. Sony has moved on from Aibo. Reintroducing Aibo is a risk they can not afford having only made a small profit for the first time since cancelling Aibo this year.
"The Tokyo-based electronics and entertainment giant said that it had booked a net profit of 43 billion yen, or $435 million, in the financial year that ended March 31. That compares with a loss of 456.7 yen billion ($4.6 billion) a year earlier. Sales grew 4.7 percent to 6.8 trillion yen ($68.4 billion). "
This seems to be mainly due to the weaker Yen which makes Japanese products more attractive for purchase from outside companies:
"The weaker yen, which makes Japanese products more price-competitive in foreign markets, was especially pronounced in the fourth quarter, from January through March. Sony said net profit was 93.9 billion yen ($949 million), compared with a net loss of 255.2 billion yen ($2.6 billion) in the same quarter a year earlier. "
According to this article Sony is doing everything possible to make a profit, including selling off assets such as it's building in New York etc. In light of this Aibo looks like it is the last thing on the minds of Sony.
Source:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/10/business/global/10iht-sony10.html?ref=technology&_r=02) You might ask why does Sony feel like this? Aibo/robotics have never appealed to the masses- they simply do not make profit because of this. Nobody buys them.
3)Most people don't "get" the appeal of Aibo and would prefer to own a real dog.
4)People question the ethics of companion robots, especially in aged care facilities. Here is an article that touches on this question of the ethics in regards to this practice:
http://www.academia.edu/3622846/Robotic_Companions_Some_ethical_questions_to_consider5)With hedgefund investors like Daniel Loeb who are only motivated by making profit having such a large stake in Sony this will only stifle creation in the company and cause them to produce more generic offering that are sure to make profit.
For example, actor George Clooney has weighed into the debate- and has attacked Loeb's criticizm's of movies that don't make profit and sees Loeb as creating uncertainty for the industry:
http://movies.yahoo.com/news/george-clooney-hedge-fund-honcho-daniel-loeb-stop-161611465.htmlDaniel Loeb recently even proposed splitting the company up, an idea which Sony rejected.
I think this quote says everything about Loeb's intentions in regards to Sony:
"Hedge fund of Dan Loeb is one of the biggest stakeholders in Sony holding around 6.5 percent in the PS maker. The value of the stake is $1.1 billion.He also indicated that he wishes to be on the board of Sony."
You can find the full open letter with the proposal put forward by Loeb submitted to Sony through his hedge fund Third Point here:
http://www.valuewalk.com/2013/05/dan-loeb-pressures-sony/You also have to realize while Japan seems a modern society to the outside world, it is actually still very much a traditional one both in mind and as a people and is not as modern in it's thinking as you think. A big part of why Japan is pursuing robots so heavily is because they want to use them to do the unskilled jobs the majority of the middle class population don't want to do instead of importing labor like other countries. Japan also has a different perspective on robots than we in the west. In Japan they are seen as things to evoke emotion and magic, whereas here they are seen as things to pursue knowledge with no emotional attatchment. Japans love of robots comes from the traditional Karakuri Ningyo mechancial doll craft. I think Aibo would be successful in Japan even today, as many more Aibo sold their than in the west due to this different perception of robots in Japan.
You can read more about the Karakuri Ningyo craft here:
http://www.karakuri.info/This traditional craft influenced the inventors of Aibo and explains why they elicit such strong feelings of emotion in people who interact with them.
My advice just enjoy Aibo and have a lot of fun talking to others in the community- petitions to bring back Aibo failed back in 2006 and certainly if nothing could be done then nothing you do now will work. Here is a petition from 2006 which did not work:
http://crave.cnet.co.uk/gadgets/rspcaibo-says-bring-back-the-robodog-49249242/Today tonight featured the story on Paro who has been proven to be useful in treating dementia and helping the elderly with cognitive impairment. Studies have proven Paro can reduce the need for care in elderly adults in the health care industry and save that industry tens of millions of dolalrs each year. Paro is much more durable than Aibo and has been made so it will last for years without need for mechanical repair and suits this environment quite well. Also Paro is designed to provide a sense of comfort which seems to work with the elderly, while Aibo is very active with a lot of complex moving parts and I am unsure how well it would go in a Nursing home environment. However an idea to bring Aibo back would be to market it to the health care industry in much the way Paro is, as I think the entertainment Aibo provides would complement Paro's ability to provide comfort quite well.
The reason news channels take Paro seriously is because it is a certified medical device which is proven to reduce the costs associated with this industry which is something that always gets the attention of a wider audiance.
“The Paro is gradually gaining more acceptance as a treatment for dementia around the world. In 2009, it was certified by the Federal Drug Administration in the US as a medical device"
“If for example, we are able to show that we can reduce psychotropic medication to a patient by 10 per cent by using the Paro or alternatively show that they can stay at home for longer without admission to a care facility, then that would be a fantastic result with direct cost benefits.”
Source:
http://app.griffith.edu.au/news/2013/03/08/robots-put-their-seal-on-dementia-advance/You can read more about a study on Paro here:
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/robotic-seals-could-improve-lives-of-dementia-sufferers-8671765.htmlNot wanting to be a complete negative nelly one realistic idea I have for bringing attention to Aibo would be to host a panel showcasing it at Robotronica. Robotronica is a international robotics convention happening here in Australia this weekend and will be featuring robots and their creators from around the world. Why not call them and see if you can host something their next year?
You can find more about Robotronica here:
http://www.robotronica.qut.edu.au/Hope this helps.
