Robot Profile
Sony aibo ERS-1000
$2,899 hardware plus $29.99 per month cloud plan. More than 400,000 units sold cumulatively. The most successful social robot ever made — and the only one with a stable global presence.
Last updated: July 2026
What aibo actually is
aibo is not a utility robot. It does not do tasks. It is designed exclusively for emotional bonding — a robot pet that learns and responds to the people around it.
The AI learns your household. Over weeks, aibo develops a personality shaped by how you interact with it: which behaviors you reward, what sounds you respond to, who feeds it attention. Two aibos in two different homes will develop meaningfully different personalities after six months.
Sony has been making aibo since 1999 (ERS-110). The ERS-1000 launched in 2017 in Japan and 2019 internationally. The brand has survived by being genuinely good at a narrow thing — and because Sony has the patience and balance sheet to sustain it.
Full specifications
| Price | $2,899 (hardware) |
| Cloud plan | $29.99/month (required for full AI features) |
| Weight | 2.2 kg |
| Battery life | ~2 hours per charge |
| Charging | Aibo dock (auto-return) |
| Sensors | Fish-eye camera (nose), rear-facing camera, 6 microphones |
| Actuators | 22 axes of movement (full-body expression) |
| Touch sensors | Head, back, chin |
| Sound | Speaker for vocalizations |
| AI processing | On-device + Sony cloud AI |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, app (iOS/Android) |
| Country of origin | Japan |
| Cumulative sales | 400,000+ units (2026) |
The cloud plan: what you lose without it
The $29.99/month cloud plan is not optional if you want the product you are buying. Without it, aibo moves but loses its intelligence. This is a deliberate design choice — the AI requires continuous cloud synchronization to function.
Who aibo is for
- Households that want a robot pet without pet allergies or care demands
- Elder care: companionship for isolated adults
- Families who want to introduce AI and robotics in a low-stakes way
- Tech enthusiasts who value genuine AI personality learning
- Care facilities seeking engagement tools for residents
- Anyone expecting a utility or task robot
- Budget-sensitive buyers (5-year cost ~$4,700)
- Households without reliable Wi-Fi
- Buyers in countries without Sony support infrastructure
- Anyone unwilling to maintain a cloud subscription indefinitely
aibo vs the alternatives
Lovot (~$3,499 + monthly plan) is the closest product — arguably more emotionally expressive — but it is only available in Japan, Australia, and UAE. No EU or North America timeline has been announced.
Moxie ($499 + $39.99/month) is designed for children and social skills development, not general companionship. It went through bankruptcy in 2024 and relaunched in late 2025 — so new buyers should factor that reputational risk into the decision.
Pepper is no longer in production. Aldebaran went bankrupt in February 2025 and the IP was sold to Maxvision in July 2025. Secondary market units only.