The Sony AIBO, introduced on May 11, 1999, is widely recognized as the worlds first consumer robotic dog, often referred to as an "electric dog" due to its electronic and AI-driven nature. Developed by Sony's Digital Creatures Laboratory under Toshitada Doi, AIBO Artificial Intelligence Robot, Meaning "pal"or "partner" in Japanese was designed to be an intelligent, interactive companion that mimicked the behaviors of a real dog.