Our take
aibo is still the most lifelike walking robot dog sold to consumers: 22 axes of motion, face recognition, home mapping, and a personality that develops through Sony's cloud.
Our take in full, what's good, what's not
aibo is still the most lifelike walking robot dog sold to consumers: 22 axes of motion, face recognition, home mapping, and a personality that develops through Sony's cloud. Sony announced in June 2026 that it is ending Japanese sales once stock runs out; U.S. sales and support continue for now, so this is a last-call purchase. Budget for the cloud plan ($300/year after the included three years), a two-hour battery, and the fact that it is not sold in Illinois or Baltimore because of biometric-privacy laws.
- Walks, plays, and recognizes people better than anything else on this list
- Sony support and parts still available in the U.S.
- Includes three years of the required cloud plan
- Roughly $3,000, then $300/year
- Discontinued in Japan; long-term support risk
- Two-hour battery; indoor flat floors only
Who it's for
An adult enthusiast with the budget who wants a walking dog and accepts end-of-life risk.
Who it's not for
- Discontinued in Japan; long-term support risk
- Two-hour battery; indoor flat floors only
Specs
| Price | $2,899–$3,199 |
| Moves | Walks |
| App / Wi-Fi | Required |
| Battery | ~2 h active per charge, ~3 h recharge |
| Weight | 2.2 kg |
| Subscription | aibo AI Cloud Plan required for full... |
| Warranty | Sony limited warranty |
All specs, in full
- Battery
- ~2 h active per charge, ~3 h recharge; self-docks on charging station
- Weight
- 2.2 kg (~4.9 lb)
- Size
- ~180 x 293 x 305 mm (7.1 x 11.5 x 12 in) standing
- Materials / fur
- Hard plastic body, OLED eyes; no fur
- Sensors
- Nose camera + rear SLAM camera, ToF/range sensors, touch sensors (head, chin, back), paw pad sensors, 2 six-axis motion sensors, 4 microphones
- Sounds
- Barks, whimpers, speaker
- Movement
- Walks on 4 legs — 22 axes (head, neck, body, legs, tail, ears); indoor flat floors only
- App required
- Yes
- Wifi required
- Yes
- Subscription
- aibo AI Cloud Plan required for full features: 3 years included, then $300/year (us.aibo.com)
- Warranty
- Sony limited warranty (terms not verified); all sales final
Opens the retailer in a new tab. You buy from them; they handle delivery, returns and warranty. We may earn a commission — it never changes our pick.
Notable features
- Most lifelike walking robot dog for consumers; personality develops via cloud AI
- Face recognition, home mapping, photos, tricks; LTE + Wi-Fi
- Sony maintains US sales, parts, support and cloud services (June 2026 statement)
Limitations reported by owners and reviewers
- Sony announced June 26, 2026 it is discontinuing Japan sales of the ERS-1000 once stock runs out — the model is in its final sales window; US sales continue for now
- Mandatory cloud subscription ($300/yr after year 3); features freeze without it
- ~2 h battery; indoor-only; cannot handle stairs, slippery or shag surfaces
- Not sold or shipped to Illinois or Baltimore, MD (biometric-privacy laws); no returns
- Very expensive; Sony-only repairs
Evidence and real-world use
- Sony reported ~20,000 ERS-1000 units sold in the first six months after 2018 launch (AFP, June 2026)
How we know this, and sources
Specs and prices come from the manufacturer's own pages and press releases, checked on September 5, 2026; owner-reported limitations come from published reviews and caregiver forums. We have not yet tested this unit hands-on — what that means. Price confidence: medium. Confirm on the manufacturer's site before buying.
Price note: CONFLICTING: Sony's last published US price was $2,899.99 (Feb 2024 Espresso Edition press release; original 2018 launch price). 2026 sources report $3,199.99 (HomeBotRadar, Aug 2026) and AFP wire (June 26, 2026) says aibo 'retails for more than $3,000' in the US — consistent with Sony's 2025 US tariff-driven price increases. Sony's US store page could not be fetched; verify on us.aibo.com/store before publishing. Price includes 3-year AI Cloud Plan; renewal $300/year after.
- www.cp24.com/news/2026/06/26/sony-discontinues-japan-sales-of-robot-puppy-aibo/
- us.aibo.com/feature/ai.html
- us.aibo.com/
- sony.mediaroom.com/2024-02-15-Sony-Electronics-Launches-Limited-aibo-Espresso...
- www.homebotradar.com/robots/aibo-ers1000/
Image: Photo: Sony Electronics Inc. press release — source.
