Sony sends Aibo to kennel in the sky

It's the oldest story in the book: the robotic dog turns up on your doorstop looking cute and winsome, learns a few words and tricks, and then gets canned, just as you've come to love it.

As part of its ongoing cost-cutting and reorganisation effort, Sony has cut its line of robotic Aibo dogs, along with another, more-expensive, humanoid robot called the Qurio, which was never sold as a product.

According to a company representative, more than 150,000 Aibos have been sold since they went on the market in 1999. But the overall company is in the midst of a historic belt-tightening, and the robotics unit didn't make the cut.

"Our core businesses are electronics, games and entertainment, but the focus is going to be on profitability and strategic growth," said Sony spokeswoman Kirstie Pfeiffer. "In light of that, we've decided to cancel the Aibo line."

Sony's £1,450 electronic dog had always fallen more in the gor-blimey category than into the realm of viable mainstream consumer product, though it has helped unleash dozens of lower-tech plastic knockoffs, as well as a few big-brand copycats.

Originally released in 1999, it was both an early use of Sony technologies such as the Memory Stick and its proprietary embedded operating system, as well as advanced robotics technology from the company's research and development labs.

Over time, the dog became more sophisticated, with the latest version able to speak 1,000 words, react (in theory) appropriately to an owner's commands and motions, keep blogs, complete with pictures taken by cameras behind its eyes, and play music.

The product inspired an online fan base that posted pictures taken by their dogs, which -- unsurprisingly, given Aibo's diminutive stature -- often tended to be of ankles or table legs.

The demise of Sony's robots marks a victory of sorts for US robot makers like iRobot. Most US manufacturers years ago decided that little market demand existed for robot companions and instead aimed their research and design efforts at robots that would perform jobs that are mundane, repetitive or too dangerous for humans. Workhorse Technologies, for instance, invented a robot that combs abandoned mine shafts.

"Ever since Rosie from The Jetsons, robots have been the next big thing, but the business case was never there. It is easy to build a robot that is prohibitively expensive," Colin Angle, CEO of iRobot, said in a 2004 interview.

The remaining Aibo robots will continue to be sold at the SonyStyle online store and at other retailers until inventory runs out. Pfeifer said the research knowledge gained from the project could find its way into future products, but that Aibo and Qurio would not be revived.

The company will provide customer support for the latest version of the Aibo for seven years, Pfeifer added. That's 49 in dog years, surely enough to bring those orphaned puppies through to a comfortable middle age.

CNET News.com's Michael Kanellos contributed to this report.