Technology ready for humanoid robots, just not their use

Sony has the technology to make humanoid robots quickly once it has identified how they can be effectively used, it says.

“In terms of technology, several companies in the world, including this one, have enough accumulated to make them swiftly once it becomes clear which usage is promising,” chief technology officer Hiroaki Kitano said. “The key is the development of application.”

Sony launched a robot dog called Aibo more than two decades ago.

It sold about 150,000 Aibos from 1999 until 2006 and launched an advanced version in 2018, selling about 20,000 in the first six months.

Humanoid robots have been in development for decades by Honda and Hyundai.

In September, Tesla CEO Elon Musk showed off a prototype of its humanoid robot, Optimus.

Musk is floating plans to deploy thousands of the robots in its factories, expanding to millions around the world.

Kitano said Sony, armed with expertise in audiovisual technology and rich entertainment content, including music and video games, was well positioned to play a major role in the metaverse, or immersive virtual worlds.

The metaverse is a vague term encapsulating the idea that consumers will spend more time in online simulated environments.

While the concept is evolving, it has become a buzzword in briefings and a driver of industry earmarking.

“As for the metaverse, it’s not like people would show up just because you’ve created a venue ... Content is what makes or breaks the metaverse,” Kitano said.