Sony starts taking orders for its new AI-powered Aibo robot dog

Sony has started taking orders for the new version of its artificial intelligence-equipped Aibo robot dog, according to The Japan Times. 

A limited number have gone on sale and some customers can now pre-order on Sony’s website, although only in Japan at the moment.

Japan Times says decisions as to which customers get to buy the robot dog may be made on a first-come-first-served basis or by lottery. 

The price tag is around $1,800 per unit, with an additional $900 for a three-year cloud subscription to run the AI.

Sony originally released an Aibo robot dog in 1999, but discontinued it for some reason in 2006.

It released the new version in January this year, and despite the high price, Japan Times reports that Sony sold 10,000 units in the first three months.