The next gadget ‘ robot dogs

I’m writing this week’s column in the glow of the most successful Kite Day in the Standard’s 11-year Kite Day history. You could say I’m giddy.

That’s because our Kite Day has a rich history of being held on the most wind-free day of the year. I remember some years where you’d have as good a chance of getting a piano off the ground as you would a kite. Kids would be standing around with sad faces while parents would be looking at the kites and trying to make some sort of string adjustment to get the things to fly.

But this year was different because there was wind, glorious wind. We even had several kites get stuck in trees to serve as proof that kites actually left the ground.

After six years of Kite Day misery, Benjamin finally had the thrill of getting his kite to fly, and he learned the ropes perhaps a little too well. His biggest fun came from getting his kite to dive and hit me in the head. Did I mention that this was also his last Kite Day?

As for stories that aren’t kite related, here’s some news you might want to hide from ol’ Rover. It appears man’s best friend is in fact replaceable, if you believe the results of a recent study by Saint Louis University. The study indicated a robot dog named AIBO was as effective as a real dog named Sparky in relieving the loneliness of nursing home patients and fostering attachments.

The study builds on previous research that indicates frequent dog visits improve the quality of life for nursing home residents. While that’s not difficult to believe, researcher Andrew Ng took things a step further by developing a robot dog that can wag its tail, bark, and blink.

Nursing home residents took about a week to warm up to AIBO, probably because the idea of a robot dog is just plain spooky. But after they got used to the metal creature, they would pet and talk to him, and he would wag his tail.

Saint Louis University professor Dr. William Banks, who engineered the study, called AIBO ‘an engaging sort of guy.’ He went on to say this shows people can develop a personal relationship with a robot.

I say the dog population better step up its game or it might go the way of the record player. With AIBO, you don’t have to worry about him getting fleas or biting the neighbor. There’s no chance a robot dog will come home pregnant, and forget about the hassle of getting him housebroken.

Like I said, Rover better watch his back.