Sony's smash-hit robot dog will go on unlimited sale this month after previous special offers were deluged by hopeful owners, the company has said. "Sony plans to manufacture all the AIBO entertainment robots for which orders are received during the official order period," the Japanese giant said. Unlimited orders would be accepted by mail, telephone or Internet from February 15th for a set period of 10 days in Japan and perhaps longer in Europe and the United States, the company said.
Last September the company said it had received more than 130,000 orders in Japan for a new breed of 10,000 limited-edition robot dogs, forcing it to consider expanding production.
The gleaming metallic puppy-sized robot, named AIBO, the Japanese word for partner, was first released in June. All 3,000 of the first edition were snapped up over the Internet in Japan in just 20 minutes. The metallic pets each sell for a hefty 250,000 yen, or $2,500 in the United States and €2,400 in Europe.
The latest AIBO model, ERS111, is a breed with slightly different ears, a shorter tail, new software and colour versions - grey-silver and metallic black.
The dog comes with an array of sensors - a colour closed-circuit camera, heat sensors, infra-red range finder, touch sensors, acceleration and speed sensors and a stereo microphone.
Accepting most of its commands via a remote control, AIBO also barks, talks and even sings in English or Japanese.
