Sony’s New Robot Fetches 40,000 Orders in 4 Weeks Since Launch

Sony Corp. said Wednesday that it received 40,000 orders for an updated version of its popular Aibo pet robot in less than four weeks after its launch on Nov. 16, marking a smooth start.

Orders for the second-generation Aibo, called the ERS-210 and capable of expressing anger or joy and otherwise engaging in “intimate interaction with people,” topped 40,000 by Dec. 11, a Sony spokeswoman said.

The new Aibo, equipped with a camera on its nose, also is considerably cheaper than its predecessor, commanding $1,334 a head compared with $2,216 for the original version.

Sony has sold about 45,000 of its original Aibo robot dogs worldwide since 1999, including a limited edition of 3,000 that sold out 20 minutes after going on sale over the Internet in Japan in June.

Sony started taking orders for the new Aibo last month through the Internet and at some retail outlets, with shipments commencing on Dec. 11. In October, the consumer electronics giant said it was prepared to handle 60,000 orders a month.

Sony had no sales forecast for the new robot, but said it considers it a serious profit-earner rather than an experimental machine.

Shares in Sony closed at $69.81 on Wednesday on the New York Stock Exchange, down $3.38.