Meet BJ, son of Aibo

Kawasaki-based iXs Research has a new toy that's perfect for Aibo and Doctor Who fans out there: a dog-bot that looks like a cross between Sony's discontinued hound and K-9, the Doctor's companion.

"BJ," seen as a potential successor to Aibo, is designed for robotics research and robot sport tournaments such as RoboCup, where Aibos play soccer.

It has 16 joints in total, an infrared distance sensor, accelerometer, and paw sensors. It can also connect to the Internet and can be programmed with a variety of motions. It has memory stick, USB and other ports. Weighing 2.5 kg (5.5 lbs), BJ is slated to go on sale around the world this fall for around $4,800.

via Robot Watch

Puppy love, redux

Another robot dog will hit store shelves in Japan in October following the demise of Sony's popular Aibo last year. Sega Toys has announced it will market Mio, a small toy robot dog that can express its "emotions" and respond to petting. It has sensors on its head, chin and back. Mio's eyes will display over a hundred icons to express psychological states. It can also respond to voice with its own "babble," play music and shuffle along. There's a video here.

Retailing for 9,240 yen ($75), Mio is part of Sega Toys' "Dream Pet" line of robotic animals that includes Yume Neko Smile, a lifelike synthetic cat.