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Robot puppy with paws against the camera lens
Photograph: Sony

You can play fetch with adorable robot puppies at Sony Square NYC right now

Sony has released its first litter of robot puppies in the US, and you can get the chance to name (and meet!) them

Written by Time Out for Sony
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There’s an insanely cute pair of robot puppies running around inside Sony Square NYC right now. Called aibo, the robot companions are already developing personalities, yipping, playing with toys and interacting with guests who stop by to visit them—but the little rascals are still in need of names. That’s where you come in.

Now through September 27, you can submit your suggestions and participate in a final vote, for the two cuties on display at the Madison Avenue showroom. One’s a blue-eyed charmer who likes to shake peoples’ hands, while the other is more energetic, preferring to play fetch with a toy called aibone. Just look at this adorable little friend:

The pups are part of the very first edition of aibo puppies released in the US (previous generations were introduced in Japan, naturally.) The current model is more advanced than its predecessors, thanks to new technology such as image sensors and a cloud-connected AI engine. These additions allow it to recognize faces and develop hundreds of personality traits as it interacts with its owner through petting, praise and voice commands. With the help of other high-tech bits and pieces (actuators, sensors, cameras and OLED lights) it’s able to wag its tail and wiggle its ears, learn all kinds of tricks and even flash a pair of puppy-dog eyes guaranteed to turn your heart to goo. While it can do many things a real dog can, it can’t do things like go to the bathroom, which some could say makes it the all-time perfect pet.

The puppies are available for playtime seven days a week now through October 14 at Sony Square NYC.

If you want to take a crack at naming them, there are two ways to take part. The first is easy enough: Go to any of Sony Square NYC’s social media pages any time between September 17th and September 23rd and submit your suggested names. 

The second—and arguably best—route is to actually roll into the showroom to play with the pups and submit your name suggestions in person.

After all the names are collected, the top four will be selected by Sony officials and released online via a Twitter poll where the public can vote for their favorites from September 24 to 27. The final names will be announced on October 3, followed by a celebration at the Madison Avenue location from 12pm-5pm. Stop by and say hello to the newly named pups, pick up a “doggie bag”, and spend some time with your new best friends. The first 20 people to arrive will receive a free aibo T-shirt!

You can watch for additional celebration details at sony.com/square-nyc.

To read more about aibo and to find out how to buy an aibo of your very own, visit Sony Square NYC.

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