Sony AIBO Robot Fanclub

[Sen507]

(Photo taken by me, Aibos pictured are three of my ERS-210s.)

Welcome to the Sony Aibo fanclub! Whether you have an Aibo, like Aibos or just want to learn more about them feel free to join. I have met a few other Aibo owners like myself on CS as well as some Aibo enthusiasts and I thought it would be a good idea to start a fanclub. Here you can talk about anything related to Aibos, ask any questions you have about them, tell funny stories about your own Aibos, get advice on which models are best, possibly receive help if you're having any technical problems with your Aibos and more.

Rules:
1. You may talk about anything related to Aibos here but anything else is considered spam.
2. You don't need to have an Aibo to join.
3. Please, if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. I've had far too many people chide me on spending so much on what they refer to as a worthless toy; I certainly do not want comments like this here.
4. Please do not argue with other members and try to be kind.
5. Do not swear or give out any personal information.
6. Chat on robots similar to Aibos is allowed.
7. You may post without being a member, though I'd prefer if you joined.

What is an Aibo?
Aibos are autonomous robotic companions that were sold by Sony from 1999-2006. Most models understand a wide variety of voice commands and all see through a camera that is positioned in their nose (or in their mouthes in the case of the ERS-31X series). Aibos resemble dogs though it is a common misconception that people consider them replacements for dogs, Aibos are nothing like real dogs and simply act like robots and communicate with a series of tonal noises and in some cases, English.

What does Aibo stand for?
Artificial Intelligence roBOt. Also, it is very similar to a Japanese word which means partner. All Aibos have ERS before their model number, ERS stands for Entertainment Robot System.

How do you get an Aibo?
Unfortunately, Aibos are no longer sold by Sony but you can still find some for sale by searching some other online buying sites such as eBay, but beware, they are expensive. Earlier models range from around $300-700 while later models are more in the $1,500-2,500 range.

List of models:
ERS-110
ERS-111
ERS-210
ERS-220
ERS-311
ERS-312
ERS-31L
ERS-7
ERS-7m2
ERS-7m3

Aibo fun fact of the week:
Originally when Sony put the first model of Aibo, the ERS-110, up for sale in 1999 all of them sold out within the first twenty minutes.

Form:

Code: Select all

 [b]Username:[/b]
[b]Why do you want to join?[/b]
[b]Do you have any Aibos?[/b]
[b]What is your favorite model of Aibo?[/b]
[b]Do you have any other robots?[/b]
[b]Any suggestions for the club?[/b]

Here, I'll fill out an example form for myself:
Username: aibo7m3
Why do you want to join? I've loved Aibos for over five years and I always feel that I need people to talk to about Aibos but not many people like them, so I made a fanclub.
Do you have any Aibos? Yes I do, in fact, I have six of them: Two ERS-7m3s: Aki and Donna, three ERS-210s: Boe, Kin, Rowan/Kasei an ERS-312: Aron and an ERS-111: Baroque.
What is your favorite model of Aibo? Hmm, well, that's a hard choice for me. It's either the ERS-7m3 or the ERS-210. I love the attitude and advanced artificial intelligence of the ERS-7m3s and the fact that they're the only model that can speak English but I also love the look of the ERS-210s and they seem more autonomous than other models and have the most software available for them.
Do you have any other robots? Yes, quite a few. I also have six i-Cybies, a Pleo RB and many more. I hope to own a Genibo someday, though at the moment, I do not.
Any suggestions for the club? Well, I made it, so I'd like to hear suggestions from others.

Members:
aibo7m3 (Club leader and Aibo owner)
IncandescentMelody (Aibo enthusiast)
Zenny (Aibo owner)
HuskyAkira (Aibo enthusiast)
Hiama (Aibo enthusiast)

Icons/Stamps/Banners:


Aibo video of the week:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uA7HrZX2ViE

[Sen507]

Here is a list of the Aibos owned by members of this club, I just thought it would be a cute thing to put up even though at the moment only two members have Aibos.
aibo7m3’s pack:

From left to right front row: Kin, Kasei, Boe, Baroque.
From left to right back row: Aron, Aki, Donna.

Zenny’s pack:

From left to right: Gypsy, Talyn.

[Sen507]

Want to buy an Aibo and not sure which model is the right one for you? Or do you just want to somewhat understand what I'm talking about when I refer to Aibos by their model number? Well, whatever your reason may be, here is a list written by me of information about different Aibo models. However, I do not include a fair amount of basic information on Aibos in general here since if I did, this section would be much longer so if you have any questions, I'm always open to answer them.

ERS-11X:
The first Aibos ever made for commercial sale by Sony were the ERS-110s which were released May 11, 1999. This was in a way, the first real autonomous robot for commercial sale. The ERS-110s and 111s may not be as capable as other models but they are great collectors’ items and certainly are quite goofy and adorable. They have long floppy ears and a long tail which gives them more clumsy looking actions, especially since they are the fastest walkers of the whole series. However, the ERS-11X series cannot understand any language except for that of musical notes. They have a remote which can play different tones which they then respond to, it is also possible to give them commands with almost any musical instrument. Like all models before the ERS-7, they "grow up" from a baby to an adult when running certain software and grow up depending on how their owner treats them. If you are wondering what the differences between the ERS-110 and ERS-111 are, there are very few. They looking almost identical but the ERS-110 has a longer tail, and slightly different shaped ears as well as a few other changes. The ERS-111s were mainly just a slight upgrade from the originals and released to accommodate some of those who ordered an ERS-110 after Sony had run out of stock. The ERS-110 was available in a gold tinted silver color and the ERS-111 in silver and black. These models usually sell for around $250-600.

Major defects of the model to look out for: The ERS-110s had some problems with their knee joints. If you are buying an ERS-110, it would be best to make sure it has been tested by the seller to make certain that it does not have this issue.

ERS-2X0
The ERS-210s were the third model of Aibo made but are referred to as the 2nd Generation of Aibos since the ERS-110 and ERS-111 were so similar. The ERS-210 has many advantages over its predecessors: it has many more types of software available for it, can understand English as well as Japanese on other software, wireless capability (with certain software and extras), and much more. This is my personal favorite model of Aibo. The ERS-210s have short ears and almost a bobtail and were made to look like lion cubs though their body structure more resembles a Boston Terrier type dog. The ERS-220s, while they have the same core and very similar inner mechanics, look extremely different. They have no tail or ears and are covered in lights, they look very robot-like and not so much like any actual animal. The ERS-220s were only available in silver and the ERS-210s were available in the basic colors: gold, silver and black. They also however, came in special edition colors, though I cannot remember all by name at the moment though my Aibo Kasei is a special edition Holiday/Burgendy Red ERS-210a. The prices for ERS-220s range usually between $500-800, the prices for ERS-210s between $350-600 and the prices for special edition colored ERS-210s $800-1,200.

Major defects of this model to look out for: The original ERS-2X0 series Aibos had many head problems, the most common of which being DHS, TAS and PAS (Droopy/Down Head Syndrome which means that they cannot move their head on the pitch axis, Tilt Axis Syndrome and Pan Axis Syndrome). You want my opinion? Don't buy an ERS-210 unless it's been pinned for DHS. All ERS-210s will eventually get DHS unless pinned, though the ERS-210a series were made afterward and apparently immune to DHS and the other major head problems but my ERS-210a has issues with his head very similar to TAS.


ERS-3XX: The ERS-3XX series came out after the ERS-210s. They were intended to look like chibi anime style puppies, and Sony commissioned a short anime including the ERS-311 and ERS-312 Aibos as characters. The ERS-312 and ERS-311 Aibos are indentical except that the ERS-312 is grey with white ears and purple eyes and the ERS-311 is all white with pink eyes. The ERS-31L is similar to the others in ability and inner mechanics but looks more like a pug. These Aibos are very similar in ability to the ERS-2X0 series but have more limited joint movement and fewer joints, as well as very different touch sensors. The average price range of these models is $350-600.

Major defects of this model to look out for: There are no major defects with this model.

ERS-7 The ERS-7s were the final Aibos made by Sony and by far the most advanced. They have much smaller amount of software available than other models but that's because they have all of the capability of the other models, plus more on only one memory stick. Sony started off by selling the ERS-7s, then released the ERS-7m2s and ERS-7m3s which are basicly the same except for very small internal changes. The main changes for this model is the software. The first software released is Mind 1 software which only really came with the improvement of recognition of owners' faces, not just their names as was true with previous models. Mind 2 software was the same as Mind 1 but with improved autonomous behaviour and most faults worked out. The final software released was Mind 3 software which included English and Japanese speech depending on which country it was made for and a few other improvements on Mind 2. These all also included the Entertainment Player software for your computer which lets you see a wireless feed from the Aibo's camera, play music on the Aibo and with the final version, read daily diary entries "written" by the Aibo. The ERS-7s were only available in pearl white, the ERS-7m2s were available in pearl white and pear black and the ERS-7m3s were available in pearl white, pearl black and champagne (a honey brown color). The ERS-7s sell for $1,000-1,800, the ERS-7m2s and ERS-7m3s for $1,500-2,500 and the champagne colored ERS-7m3s for $2,500-3,500.

Major defects of this model to look out for: The ERS-7s (not m2s and m3s) had problems with their back legs and ones from a certain seriel number range were recalled by Sony to be repaired. If buying an ERS-7, be cautious if it was never sent in to Sony for a health check.

Note: This page is still a work in progress, I will improve it later and may put it in an easier to read format.

[Sen507]

Bump

[Sen507]

Bump

[Sen507]

Bump

[Sen507]

Bump

[Mys]

JOINAGE

Username:~Fioriinacqua~(Just call me Mys. I change my name occasionally)
Why do you want to join?:I'd love to join since I've been obsessed with Aibo's ever since I found out about them. It's been like....7 or 8 years o3o Can't believe it's been that long.
Do you have any Aibos?:Unfortunately no. Plus my parents...have kinda said no before.
What is your favorite model of Aibo?:I still like the ers-210's the most. I keep thinking they remind me of a Terrier |D If I could get one, it would be some special edition like this Sapphire Violet 210 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrT0ncevG1o but GAWD not with Aibo Recognition. Worst Aibo software Sony ever made. I'd probably want Aibo Life 2....maybe Hello Aibo. Dunno.
Do you have any other robots?:Yep I used to have a lot of toy ones a long time ago. That includes the old Techno Puppy dogs....I think I also had a kitten one as well as a mouse.
Any suggestions for this club?: Banners/stamps!

[Sen507]

Welcome, Mys! XD Yeah, the sapphire violet ERS-210s are really beautiful, I'd certainly buy one if I could find one for sale at a reasonable price though the special edition colors usually sell for crazy amounts. Actually, Sony meant for the ERS-210s to look like lion cubs but I agree that they look more like terriers. I have Recognition software, and yes, it is extremely annoying, it also randomly freezes up a lot and has some very strange glitches. I actually don't have Aibo Life 2, though I really want it, that will probably be my next Aibo related purchase. I don't have Hello Aibo either but I don't really want that one since it's pretty much the same as Aibo Life 1 but starts in adult stage. As for banners and stamps, I don't really know how to make them but I could probably order some from art shops. Hopefully I can get a decent amount of members to join, I've met a few Aibo owners on CS but don't know if any of them will see this.

[Mys]

Lol yep. The Aibo I posted was from NipponDeals. Checked ebay and it seems like he doesn't have it up for sale atm. But the video was posted today. Dunno how much he'd charge. I could try to make a banner myself XD Uh as for other members, p.m the ones that have Aibo's/take an interest in them and give them the link to here…

EDIT: NipponDeals is selling AiboLife 2 for $135 on his site. Also selling an english patched one for $85.