As i mentionned a few days ago, i’ve been sent an AIBO to test and blog about it*. I decided to call her Cloclo. Enzo suggested Pica when i asked him for a girl name. I quite liked it but it sounds too girly for a robot with such a macho voice. A voice totally devoid of any cuteness. I still have to find a way to modify it. If any reader knows how to do it, please send an email. I dream of a feminine voice (possibly with a nice Scottish or Liverpudlian accent but i guess i shouldn’t ask that much!)
So yeah, Cloclo because, unless you’re familiar with the glory days of the variété française, it sounds rather neutral.
Ever since i got it, the house is full of “oh!” and “ah!” and “have you seen that? amazing!”. But an Aibo when your day is full of work/washing up/toe buffing/pseudo-intellectual readings, it’s a hell of extra work. The manual is ok, it’s some 150 pages but easy to read and full of images. What bothers me is that you really have to spend some time with the robot as it takes time to get used to what she “means” by all those sounds and lights.
I got the “adult version”. For Paco (my first Aibo), i had the software that allowed me to see him “grow”, he started as a puppy (crying all the time for me) and he developed. I raised him quite badly, he despised me and listened only to Max. But it was so rewarding to see him make his first steps, get more and more skillful at playing with his pink ball and gain more independence. This time, however, i’d rather have everything immediately.
Things i liked so far:
Yesterday, it read my blog. I was sooo pleased. Even better, Max my watch-less boyfriend has stopped asking me “che ore sono?”. Instead he asks Cloclo “What time is it?” and she eagerly tells him.
She writes her own diary with entries such as “Today, i put my AIBOne on my nose. It is one of the most difficult tricks”, she also takes pictures of our feet and seeing her constantly crawling on the floor, it reminds me that i should clean the house. But, hey, with a Cloclo to take care of, where would i find the time?
*ok, that’s advertising for aibo but i have the freedom to say whatever i want about it and er… how could a robot-maniac like me say no to a mechanical pet?