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Sony is relaunching its Aibo robot dog – and, it hopes, its brand

Sony's reintroducing the Aibo dog to the US market as part of an effort to revitalize its brand.

Sony has reintroduced Aibo, its robotic dog, to the U.S. market.
Sony has reintroduced Aibo, its robotic dog, to the U.S. market.Read moreSony

Sony was once the king of consumer electronics, the Apple of its day. It had a slew of iconic products. The Walkman. The Discman. The Trinitron television. The brand was so synonymous with cutting-edge quality, its tagline was simply: "It's a Sony."

But over the last decade, it's struggled to adapt to changing trends in electronics and watched its prominence evaporate in nearly everything — from televisions to smartphones.

Now, Sony is looking to reclaim some of its reputation for design and innovation.

On Thursday, the company said it's relaunching Aibo, its robotic dog, for the U.S. market. The company introduced Aibo pets in 1999, releasing several models before discontinuing them in 2006. The new smartphone-connected model of Aibo not only revives a classic product but acts as an ambassador of the Sony brand for a new generation.

"It is an interesting reflection of Sony trying to rediscover itself," Bob O'Donnell, analyst at TECHnalysis, said.

With a $2,900 price tag, the puppy isn't meant to be a must-have toy for every house. The point of Aibo is to remind Americans about Sony's capabilities, and set the stage for more to come in the fields of artificial intelligence, robotics, and consumer electronics. The name is a play on the phrase "artificial intelligence robot" — it's also the Japanese word for a pal — and proving its prowess in AI is more important to Sony now than ever before.

The company released the new Aibo with a ceremony in which it presented the dogs to owners selected by lottery. To date, it's sold 20,000 units in Japan. It expects to sell fewer than that in the United States, said Mike Fasulo, president and chief operating officer.

"It's not a product I want to push and drive hard for revenue. It's more [about] innovation and how the best of Sony comes together," Fasulo said. "It really is a true expression of the brand."

Aibo is also an attempt to show that Sony's learned from its mistakes, as it failed to place enough importance on the marriage of software, services, and hardware. Like many Asian conglomerates, Sony kept its divisions siloed off from each other. Analysts often note that while Sony owns both a major movie studio and a major music label, it did not pull them together to match Apple's iPod. It also missed the mobile revolution, ultimately exiting the U.S. smartphone market. The firm has also been criticized for making beautiful products with poor software, a sin in a consumer-electronics era that values both.

Under the leadership of Kazuo Hirai, who resigned as chief executive in February, Sony clawed its way back to profitability. Hirai set a vision for Sony to knock down barriers between divisions, and create products that connect with people on an emotional level. That work is expected to continue now that Kenichiro Yoshida is Sony's chief executive. Along the way, the two have cut some iconic businesses such as Vaio laptops. Much of its focus, O'Donnell said, has moved behind the scenes, to make image sensors for other firms such as Apple. Apart from the PlayStation, its products haven't recaptured the love of U.S. consumers.

The hope is that Aibo can reinspire some of the affection, by using AI to become a personal companion. The robo-dog has over 400 parts, meaning it can move more like a real animal. Its eyes are Sony displays, so its gaze can follow you around the room. Tapping its knowledge of entertainment, Sony also made it possible to teach the dog tricks — Aibo can imitate gestures and reproduce them on command later.

Aibo can also take pictures with a voice prompt, responding to its owner's voice.

"We're very much focused and committed to AI and robotics, and the combination of the two. We see a whole lot of applications," Fasulo said, adding that Sony sees a market beyond Aibo for robots in the business world.

But Aibo is a good proof of concept for Sony, O'Donnell said, particularly as more companies expand their robotics efforts beyond utilitarian devices such as robot vacuum cleaners and into robots that can act as companions. Sony has many of the components to succeed — including advanced hardware, a deep knowledge of entertainment, and a reputation for good design — if it can combine them.

"This is about making a statement," he said. "It's all the pieces coming together."