Sony aibo ERS-1000

What it's for

The Sony aibo ERS-1000 Sony Group is a companion robot with 22 degrees of freedom, OLED eyes and a character that changes with how we treat it. It doesn't clean, carry groceries or guard the house like a security robot: its job is companionship. It has cameras in the nose and the back, touch sensors and microphones, and its "personality" develops in the cloud under the Sony AI Cloud Plan, which is why it is a toy with ongoing costs, not a one-off purchase. It is not about usefulness but about companionship and emotion, and that calls for an honest conversation: two hours on the battery means the robot regularly "goes to sleep" on its charging station. You can read more about the category in home robots, and home uses are covered in “Home”. If you are looking for a robot that will really help at home, look at the 1X NEO or the Weave Isaac 1. For children's play and learning to code, cheaper educational models are more often chosen, see educational robots.

Who it's for

Who it's for: people who want an animal companion without veterinary care, homes with allergy sufferers, robotics fans ready to bear a recurring subscription cost, and collectors. Who it's not for: people who expect a robot for work, home security or help with daily chores; anyone who doesn't want an annual fee; and residents of Poland counting on an official purchase and support, because the model is not officially available in our country. Privacy is also worth bearing in mind: the aibo has cameras and connects to the cloud, so before buying, read “Data Security: Robots with Cameras and the GDPR”.

Deployments

The model is not officially sold here, and we have no record of Polish institutions or companies using it. The aibo functions mainly as a home product in Japan and the US. In Poland, however, cheaper devices such as the Loona are available in the companion-robot segment, described in “Home robots”. Educational robots in schools and universities are covered in “Educational Robots for Schools and Universities”.

The closest cheaper option is the Loona Petbot, a Chinese companion robot for USD 499 (about PLN 1,934 (≈ EUR 440)), available in Poland at Media Expert, on Kaufland.pl and on Ceneo.pl; it has fewer degrees of freedom but costs a fraction of the aibo's price and has Polish distribution. For desktop charm, check out the Eilik (USD 199, about PLN 771 (≈ EUR 175)) or the EMO (from USD 279); both are small, animated characters, but without a Sony-scale subscription. For someone who wants something more practical, the Amazon Astro (USD 1,449.99) patrols the home and works with Alexa, although the business variant was withdrawn in September 2024. Each answers a different question: "robot dog", "desktop companion" or "home patrol".

The first aibo appeared in 1999, and Sony discontinued the line in 2006. After a long break, the company returned with the ERS-1000, unveiled and put on sale in January 2018. Since then the robot has gained 22 degrees of freedom, cameras and a cloud-based personality. The latest stage on record: in June 2026, Sony announced the end of aibo sales in Japan once stock is exhausted, while sales in the US continue with no announced end date. This signals a gradual phase-out of the model, but not a final global decision.