Sony robot sings, dances and isn’t cheap
Sony’s SDR-4X can remember people’s faces and even dance disco, but it’s an expensive toy — costing as much as a luxury car.
TOKYO, Japan (AP) — The newest Sony Corp. family member has a photographic memory, an extensive vocabulary and a jukebox-like knowledge of music.
He also comes with a clunky, sci-fi name and a price tag resembling that of a luxury car.
The silver, round-eyed “SDR-4X” humanoid robot was unveiled Tuesday and will go on sale later this year. Sony Corp. would not say much more about its plans for the 23-inch tall robot.
“This robot was designed to live with people in homes,” said Toshitada Doi, Sony executive vice president.
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The SDR-4X is an upgraded version of a humanoid robot shown about a year ago. It has two cameras to see things better, including being able to tell the difference between the edge of a table and the patterns on the floor. That has been a challenge for another Sony product, the puppy-shaped robot Aibo, which has only one camera.
The new robot will be considerably more expensive than Aibo, which already has sold more than 100,000 units worldwide. The latest Aibo model sells for $1,400 in Japan and $1,500 in the United States.
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