The Sony Aibo
Sharing your live with a beloved dog is going to become unsustainable, says an Australian researcher, leading to a shift to companion robotic dogs.
Ugh.
Dr. Jean-Loup Rault, an animal welfare researcher at the University of Melbourne, Australia says that this prediction is similar to describing the power of Facebook to someone 20 years ago. “If you’d described Facebook to someone 20 years ago, they’d think you were crazy. But we are already seeing people form strong emotional bonds with robot dogs in Japan.”
Dr Rault says that when a robot dog dies in Japan because it is not repairable, many owners hold a funeral for it.
Dr Rault says the consequences of a shift towards robotic pets will be good for people who suffer from allergies, but may also cause a shift in ethics – with people more detached from the suffering of mortal beings.
I don’t want to live in a world that goes backwards in terms of animal welfare. And I can’t cuddle up in bed at night with a robot, nor see the blissful look on its face when I massage it.
I hope Dr Rault is wrong.
Kathleen Crisley, specialist in dog massage, rehabilitation and nutrition/food therapy, Canine Catering Ltd, Christchurch, New Zealand
You can read Dr Rault’s article in the journal Frontiers of Veterinary Science by clicking here.
Source: Market Business News
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