What Happened?
SONY has launched a soulbound NFT themed around the classic robotic dog Aibo on the Soneium blockchain, symbolizing the emotional connection between it and its owner.
Aibo interacts with its owner through AI learning, making it not just a robotic pet, but one of SONY’s most technologically innovative products.
Developed by a SONY subsidiary, the Soneium blockchain aims to create infrastructure that supports the creator economy, having processed over 50 million transactions since the mainnet went live.
The Return of the Robotic Dog “Aibo” on the Blockchain
Do you remember SONY’s robotic dog “Aibo”? On the occasion of its 25th anniversary, it makes a return to people’s daily lives in the form of NFTs (non-fungible tokens).
SONY has launched a soulbound NFT series themed around Aibo on its Ethereum Layer 2 network, the Soneium blockchain. “Soulbound” signifies that these NFTs cannot be transferred or traded, symbolizing the unique emotional connection each holder has with Aibo. Of course, this series also pays tribute to Aibo’s history.
According to an official announcement from SONY, each user can mint up to 1,000 Aibo NFTs for free on OpenSea until March 24, only needing to pay a small miner fee (Gas fee). According to data on OpenSea, more than 20 million NFTs have already been minted.
What is Aibo? Why is it Important?
The name Aibo is a homophone of the Japanese word “aibō,” meaning “companion,” and refers to a series of robotic dogs designed and manufactured by SONY. SONY announced the launch of Aibo’s prototype in mid-1998 and released the first commercial model on May 11, 1999. Until 2006, SONY introduced new models each year.
In January 2006, it was officially announced that production of Aibo and several other products would cease, until 2017 when SONY announced the release of a new generation of Aibo robotic dogs.
In fact, Aibo is not just a robotic pet; it is more like an interactive companion that learns from its surrounding environment through AI technology and establishes a relationship with its owner. Over the past 25 years, Aibo has been considered a pioneering robot. The launch of the soulbound NFT series also reflects SONY’s emphasis on Aibo’s core values, allowing Aibo to accompany its owner “on-chain” permanently through tokenization.
What is the Soneium Blockchain?
The Soneium blockchain is developed by SONY subsidiary Sony Block Solutions Labs (Sony BSL), aiming to create a secure and efficient blockchain environment between creators and fans. Additionally, the company hopes to bridge the gap between Web2 and Web3 through user-centered design and applications.
Sony BSL has stated that, apart from NFTs or digital collectibles, the company is building infrastructure to support a broader creator economy and is prepared to leverage the Soneium network within its subsidiaries in the film, music, and gaming sectors.
According to reports from Decrypt, since the launch of Soneium’s mainnet, the chain has processed over 50 million transactions.
Source: Decrypt, NFTPlazas