The fact is that, excluding the obvious differences, these metal pets have all the advantages of real dogs and none of their �disadvantages�, as they do not need to go out for a walk, don�t get dirty, don�t shed hair... they can, however, bark and even show affection for their owners.

 

The Japanese company, Sony, was a pioneer in robotic dogs. In 1999, it launched Aibo (�friend� in Japanese), a dog-shaped robot which was marketed as the pet for the twenty-first century. The 3000 models sold by the company in Tokyo, exclusively over the Internet, for the modest sum of 300,000 of the old pesetas, sold out in twenty minutes.

 

The first Aibos came with various sensors and stand-alone programs enabling them to react to external stimuli such as sound, light and the human touch. They did not respond when called by their name, but could develop their own personality.

 

The most recently released model, the ERS-7, in addition to performing the typical things that a normal dog does -barking, playing, wagging its tail and expressing its moods, takes photos, records video and sound in response to moving objects, can tune in to the radio, play CDs, display a whole range of emotions through body language, and can even recognise up to 1000 different words.

 

Furthermore, Aibo has a web page where you can download the program that controls the basic movements. Using this software you can modify its behaviour and program its reactions to various stimuli.

 

The alternative to the Aibo is the iDog, developed by Sega Toys. IDog is a friendly little dog made up of cables and chips which responds to external stimuli. It contains up to 720 internal musical phrases, which it uses to respond to each stimulus.

 

It is even able to improvise words when the owner caresses the phototransistor on its head. It also has lights which light up in different ways depending on the affection shown by its master.

 

The company Nintendo, meanwhile, has hit the nail on the head with Nintendogs, a game for its DS portable console which are a more modern version of the �tamagochis� -those �eggs� which enjoyed success some years ago- and which is taking the world by storm.

 

Unlike the Aibo and the iDog, the Nintendogs do not have a physical presence but a virtual one. The player�s mission is to train the puppy, take it out for a walk, play with it, give it instructions and feed it. Let�s just say that it could be a good tool for teaching children what is involved in having a pet, although it only exists on a screen.

 

In Nintendogs, you start by choosing a dog out of six different breeds; since there are three games, there are a total of 18 breeds. As you continue training the puppy, which does not get any older, it acquires different skills.

 

The DS touch screen allows you to caress it and using the microphone you can give it a name, summon it with a whistle or order it to sit down, among other things. Furthermore, it is necessary to take it out so that it can do its business and train it for tournaments at which it will show off its talents.

 

Dogs are not the only cybernetic pets. NeCoRo is a robotic cat which looks like a cuddly toy. Compared to Aibo, NeCoRo has significantly fewer abilities. It can miaow and make different noises when it interacts with humans, but, like all good cats, it does not respond to its owner�s commands or perform any tricks. It simply limits itself to purring when it is caressed. The more you pamper it, the friendlier it will be; and if you ignore it, it will ignore you back.

 

The seal, strange as it sounds, is another animal which has a robotic version. For 3500 euros you can buy a robotic seal pup whose main function is to be company for elderly people in hospitals and homes.

 

Created by the Japanese Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, it has been proven that �Paro�, as this device is known, improves the cognitive functions of people suffering from Alzheimer�s.