Incense smoke, prayers of peace and the ringing of traditional bells were in the air at one funeral service this week in Japan – honouring not people, but the “lives” of about a hundred broken Aibo robot dogs manufactured by tech company Sony.
According to local media, 114 defective Aibos were given a traditional send-off at a Buddhist temple in eastern Chiba Prefecture before being sent to the electronics repair shop in the sky.
“[The] owner’s heart is going inside the robot’s heart, like a transfer,” said the company’s president, Nobuyuki Norimatsu, explaining that Aibos share a deep connection with their owners and deserve a ceremonial departure.
Sony began its production of the Aibo robot dogs in 1999 but discontinued the line in 2006 due to the company’s financial troubles.
A new version of the robot dogs was unveiled earlier this year, sporting artificial intelligence capabilities and facial recognition technology.
“In Japanese culture, one by one, they have a heart,” said Norimatsu.
Parts – or “organs” – of the broken Aibos will be salvaged for use in the production of the new line of Aibos.
