【明報專訊】Funerals are held for robotic dogs in Japan because their owners believe they have souls. They think their robotic pets are members of their families, not just home appliances.
Those robotic dogs, called Aibos, were made by Sony Corporation from 1999 to 2006. They are the world's first home-use entertainment robots equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) and capable of developing their own characters. Sony stopped selling Aibos in 2006 because of business problems and shut down maintenance services for them in March 2014.
Aibo owners may call on Nobuyuki Norimatsu, a 59-year-old former Sony technician who has a shop in Chiba (千葉縣), a prefecture near Tokyo. He helps fix Aibos. The repairman's fees start at ?25,000 (about HK$1,600).
"Offering services that delight customers is what I've learnt directly from Sony founders," Norimatsu said. "I think Sony should have continued the maintenance services." (source: Ming Pao, Wall Street Journal, Daily Mail)
■Words
robotic dog 機械狗
home appliance 家用電器
Quiz
Choose the correct answers.
1. A corporation of which country created Aibos?
a. The US
b. Japan
c. China
2. Why can't Aibo owners turn to Sony for maintenance services for their robotic dogs?
a. Because they are too costly.
b. Because too many people are in the queue for such services.
c. Because such services are no longer available.
3. Which of the following words can replace "delight" in paragraph 4?
a. cheer up
b. happy
c. sorrow
4. Why do owners of Aibos hold funerals for them?
a. Because they are required by law to do so.
b. Because Sony offers such services.
c. Because they regard them as real pets.
■Glossary
funeral (n) 葬禮
soul (n) 靈魂
maintenance (n) 維修
call on (phr v) 請求
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