Is it possible for “aibo,” the robotic dog, to live in symbiosis with a real canine?

Sony announced in July the results of an experiment, conducted under the supervision of zoologist Tadaaki Imaizumi, where canine behavior was analyzed.

According to the results, the dogs showed signs of consideration towards aibo, and in many cases they recognized aibo as a “living creature.”

The experiment was conducted in two steps. First, the researchers observed how 13 dogs of different ages and breeds reacted when coming into initial contact with aibo.

Nine out of the 13 approached aibo and took a sniff. Of the nine, six went so far as to sniff aibo’s rear end for confirmation. The four other dogs appeared more cautious and stayed away.

The next study involved three dogs that sniffed aibo on first contact. Those dogs spent three weeks living with the robot. A toy poodle (male, six months old) was able to understand aibo’s name, and on the eighth day of the experiment, he rolled over and showed his stomach to aibo.

According to Professor Imaizumi, the behavior “indicated that they were comrades and that his guard was down.”