Hajime Sorayama. Aibo Entertainment Robot (ERS-110). 1999. The Japanese word aibo, which means “pal,” is also an acronym of sorts for Artificial Intelligence Robot, an electronic pet released by Sony in 1999. This robot has the ability to react to its environment and learn: it is trainable, responds to touch, and is programmed to simulate the behavior of a living animal (sit, stay, come) and perform certain tasks, such as appointment reminders and e-mail notification.