TOKYO >> Sony Group Corp. has started a “foster parent” program for unwanted Aibo dog robots, which will transfer them from their owners to hospitals and nursing care facilities.

Aiming to increase the use of the robot, the company will connect owners who do not want the robot dogs with facilities that will use them to give comfort to patients.

Sony wipes the data from the robots’ used by former owners, deleting personal data, and then offers them to facilities.

Equipped with artificial intelligence, Aibo is capable of identifying and distinguishing people and reading facial expressions.

The robot was launched in 1999, but production was suspended in 2006 due to sluggish sales. However, a new model was launched in 2018.