Sony’s Aibo robot dog is a bit different. Aibo was first introduced in 1999, with new models launched each year. They were what they sounded like: cute robot dogs that behaved like real dogs that kept you company. They… didn’t do much more than that. However, Aibo wasn’t exactly a big moneymaker for the company. In 2006, Sony decided to discontinue the adorable robot dog and withdrew customer support in 2013. This led to some elaborate Aibo funerals at Buddhist temples in Japan. Sony revived Aibo in 2017, but given that it costs $2,900 per bot, it hasn’t exactly spread to every home across the world.
Given the history of cute robots designed to live in your home, provide you companionship, dispense information via voice commands, and act as a security system… it’s not looking too great for Astro.