The verified answer
As of Sep 2026, DEPLOY verifies Sony Corporation: 1 model, 4 deployments across 4 regions. 1 source back the record.
CategoryQuadrupeds
Overview
Sony Group Corporation is a Japanese multinational conglomerate headquartered in Tokyo, developing robotics including the Aibo ERS-1000 companion robot dog. Sony's robotics division has produced multiple generations of Aibo since 1999, with the ERS-1000 being the latest production model featuring AI-powered personality development and cloud-connected behaviors.
Verified record
- Verified deployments
- 4 deployments on file
- Active incidents
- None on file
Key facts
Product
Category
Tickersee public companies →
Aibo history
Financial stage
Data & sources
Web sources
1
1 source backing this record.View all →
Models (1)
View all models →Partnerships
Every company Sony Corporation has built with, alongside the ones only announced in a press release.
Most-frequent partners
- 1Bandai Namco Holdings1× joint
- 2KADOKAWA Corporation1× joint
- 3Raspberry Pi1× joint1 total
- 4TSMC1× joint2 total
- 5ZMP1× joint4 total
Most recent
- Sony x TSMC (Image Sensor Joint Venture)2026-05-08with TSMCoperating
- with Bandai Namco Holdingsjust announced
- with KADOKAWA Corporationjust announced
- ZMP x Sony (Aerosense Drone JV)2015-08-03with ZMPoperating
Sony Corporation on the deployment map
View the global map4 verified deployments across 4 regions, newest verified Jan 2024. Explore where Sony Corporation's robots are operating, by place and type.
- operationalSony Aibo ERS-1000 at United States →United States · verified Jan 2024
- operationalSony Aibo ERS-1000 at Japan (Foster Parent Program) →Japan · verified Sep 2023
- pilotSony Aibo ERS-1000 at Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan →Tokyo Metropolis · verified Jul 2022
- operationalSony Aibo ERS-1000 at Japan →East Asia · verified Jan 2018
View the full Sony Corporation deployment record →
Relationships
Current leadership (2)
- Hiroki Totoki President & CEO, Representative Corporate Executive Officer (since Apr 2025)secondary-verified
- Hiroaki Kitano Chief Technology Fellow (served as CTO 2022-2025)secondary-verified
Founders (2)
- Akio Moritacofounderno longer at company
- Masaru Ibukacofounderno longer at company
Former / Previously (2)
- Masaru Ibuka Co-founder (1946)secondary-verified
- Akio Morita Co-founder (1946)secondary-verified
Safety record
No incidents on record for Sony Corporation.
Only active incidents are counted. Retracted incidents are excluded from this summary but remain reachable at their canonical URLs.
Full safety record: incidents, sourcing, and exposure data →
Operator customers (1)
- Sony Corporation4 deployments
Recent coverage
Sony Corporation in third-party press
Peers
13 peers across 1 segment. Every Sony Corporation competitor derived from shared form-factor and application-domain edges.
quadruped(13)
12 companies in this segment · highly_concentrated (HHI 4981.70981935126) · leader Boston Dynamics at 5660%
- ANYboticsdirect competitor(inferred)moderate
- Asylon Roboticsdirect competitor(inferred)moderate
- Boston Dynamicsdirect competitor(inferred)moderate
- DEEP Roboticsdirect competitor(inferred)moderate
- Ghost Roboticsdirect competitor(inferred)moderate
- LimX Dynamicsdirect competitor(inferred)moderate
Financial state
- Reporting basis
- private_reported
- Lifecycle stage
- mature
- Counterparty risk class
- low
Each numeric field carries its own basis marker. Aggregators report a number; this surface preserves the source class so verification depth travels with the value.
Partnerships
5 total · 3 operating · 2 just announced · 1 ended
Every company Sony Corporation has built with, alongside the ones only announced in a press release.
Most recent
- Sony x TSMC (Image Sensor Joint Venture)2026-05-08with TSMCoperating
- with Bandai Namco Holdingsjust announced
- with KADOKAWA Corporationjust announced
- ZMP x Sony (Aerosense Drone JV)2015-08-03with ZMPoperating
Most-frequent partners
- 1Bandai Namco Holdings1× joint
- 2KADOKAWA Corporation1× joint
- 3Raspberry Pi1× joint1 total
- 4TSMC1× joint2 total
- 5ZMP1× joint4 total
All 5 partnerships
open in the atlas →- manufacturing—operating
- joint venture2026-05-08operating
- Sony x Bandai Namco (Strategic Partnership)withBandai Namco Holdingsdevelopment2025-07-24announcedjust announced
- Sony x KADOKAWA (Strategic Capital Alliance)withKADOKAWA Corporationinvestment2024-12-19announcedjust announced
- joint venture2015-08-03concludedoperating
Timeline
Every recorded move in Sony Corporation’s history, most recent first: funding rounds, partnerships, acquisitions, supply-chain starts, key hires, and press.
Started supplyingBecame supplier to Apple
2026-08-23Supply: Sony image sensors for iPhone to Apple
Started supplyingBecame supplier to Tesla
2026-08-23Supply: Sony image sensors for Tesla to Tesla
Started supplyingBecame supplier to Mobileye
2026-08-23Supply: Sony image sensors for Mobileye to Mobileye
PartnershipSony x TSMC (Image Sensor Joint Venture)
2026-05-08Sony Semiconductor Solutions and TSMC established a .69 billion joint venture to develop and manufacture next-generation image sensors in Kumamoto, Japan. Sony leads sensor design while TSMC provides advanced process technology, with volume production expected to start in 2029.
PartnershipSony x Bandai Namco (Strategic Partnership)
2025-07-24Sony Group and Bandai Namco Holdings signed a strategic partnership to co-create content and experiences combining Sony's technology capabilities with Bandai Namco's IP strategy. The collaboration aims to maximize IP value across entertainment fields including anime, games, and real-world experiences.
PartnershipSony x KADOKAWA (Strategic Capital Alliance)
2024-12-19Sony and KADOKAWA agreed to form a strategic capital and business alliance to strengthen KADOKAWA's IP creation capabilities and expand global media mix options. Sony's support for global expansion aims to deliver KADOKAWA's IP to more users worldwide through anime, games, and other entertainment.
PartnershipZMP x Sony (Aerosense Drone JV)
2015-08-03ZMP and Sony Mobile formed a joint venture called Aerosense to develop commercial drones for survey and inspection. The JV combined ZMP robotics expertise with Sony sensor and cloud technology for enterprise drone services.
Recent activity
Every change to this record is dated, sourced, and independently verified where marked.
- Record createdJun 16, 2026
Added to the verified registry
- Deployment verifiedVerifiedJan 1, 2024
Sony Aibo ERS-1000 at United States
- Deployment verifiedVerifiedSep 11, 2023
Sony Aibo ERS-1000 at Japan (Foster Parent Program)
- Deployment verifiedVerifiedJul 1, 2022
Sony Aibo ERS-1000 at Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan
- Deployment verifiedVerifiedJan 11, 2018
Sony Aibo ERS-1000 at Japan
Sources (1)
- AIBO - Wikipedia · https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AIBO
Common questions
What is Sony Corporation?
What does Sony Corporation make?
Is Sony Corporation publicly traded?
Who competes with Sony Corporation?
Who is the CEO of Sony Corporation?
How can I invest in Sony Corporation?
Where is Sony Corporation headquartered?
Who owns Sony Corporation?
Where does Sony Corporation operate robots?
How many robots has Sony Corporation deployed?
Is Sony Corporation a top robotics company?
When was Sony Corporation founded?
Is Sony Corporation safe?
Methodology: Verified · 1 source (no primary) · last reviewed 2026-08-22
Verification posture
Verified
Low confidence
Review state
Stable
Last reviewed 2026-08-22
Sources by quality tier
- 1
- knowledge-base
- Knowledge base
The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.
Methodology surface for Sony Corporation.Peer companies
- Unitree Robotics10 models
- DLR Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics6 models
- Boston Dynamics5 models
- DEEP Robotics4 models
- Xiaomi3 models
- GENISOM AI2 models
In the press
Recent coverage mentioning Sony Corporation from third-party publications. Automatically surfaced; not part of the verified registry record.
Zach Cregger’s ‘Resident Evil’: First Reactions From the Premiere
The second reboot of Sony's action horror franchise hits theaters on Sept. 18.
‘Practical Magic 2’ Aims to Make ‘Spider-Man’ Disappear From No. 1 at Box Office
Sony's 'Brand New Day' has held the top spot on the domestic chart for six straight weeks.
GTA 6 Gets PS5 DualSense With a Giant VI Logo and Purple Vice City Design
Ascendants GTA 6 Gets PS5 DualSense With a Giant VI Logo and Purple Vice City Design GTA 6 fans have another piece of hardware to look forward to as Sony and Rockstar Games have…
Xbox swoops in to publish Hideo Kojima's 'Physint' after Sony dropped out
Kojima and Xbox are teaming up after Sony pulled out of 'Physint.'
Sony just handed Kojima’s PHYSINT to Xbox, and PlayStation fans aren’t going to like it
Sony has stepped away from Hideo Kojima's PHYSINT after three decades of collaboration, and Xbox has swooped in to publish the genre bending game instead.
Sony Coupons: 45% Off Sony Headphones and Sony Cameras September 2026
Upgrade your setup with Sony’s newest releases. Save on industry-leading noise-canceling audio, and pro-level Alpha cameras.
Sony just announced new headphones, which means you can get the older Sony WH-CH720N for nearly half off
The Sony WH-CH720N headphones are on sale at Amazon for $97, down from the list price of $179.99. That's a 46% discount.
Sony XM4C headphones launch along with 2 budget-friendly models
Sony launched the new WH-1000XM4C, WH-CH730N, and WH-CH530 on Sept. 7. The latter two headphones, along with the Sony XM6 headphones, will also be available in limited-time Hello…
Sony WH-CH730N and WH-CH530 get longer battery life, new colors, and better calls
Sony has launched the WH-CH730N and WH-CH530 with longer battery life, Bluetooth 6.0, improved calls, and new color options.
Sony brings back its fan-favorite WH-1000XM4 headphones with a replaceable battery and 10-band EQ
Sony has revived the WH-1000XM4 as the $299.99 WH-1000XM4C with a replaceable battery, Bluetooth 6.0, and a new 10-band equalizer.
CHC5 open Camera System Image Sensor Specification comparison
Gaurav Singh has posted the first part of a series on the CHC5 open camera system at circuitvalley.com, and it starts with picking a sensor. The post is a side by side technical…
Sony Surprises With New 1000XM4C 2nd Gen Headphones With Updated Sound, Bluetooth 6.0
The $300 WH-1000XM4C will be released alongside Sony’s new midrange CH730N and entry-level CH530 headphones.
Machine-readable surfaces
- Markdown mirror: /companies/sony.md
- RSS feed: /companies/sony/feed.xml
- JSON-LD: embedded in this page’s head
- REST API: /v1/companies/b73dc065-c5a7-479f-8a9e-5fb6e49ebe43
- Revision history: /companies/sony/history
- Data documentation: /data
- Query this programmatically: Deploy MCP
Peer companies
- Unitree Robotics10 models
- DLR Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics6 models
- Boston Dynamics5 models
- DEEP Robotics4 models
- Xiaomi3 models
- GENISOM AI2 models
Video
Robotics Package provides all of the basic functionality required to productize specialized robots or robot-driven systems, allowing customers to focus on build
Easy Setup - Deployable on day one without complex system integration. Intuitive UI - Featuring an intuitive app for easy call-and-dispatch operations. Easy Sca
Can Sony's $2,900 robot canine possibly live up to the real thing? The Post's Geoffrey A. Fowler compares Aibo to a real (adorable) puppy to find out. Subscribe
Did you know that it’s extremely difficult for even the most experienced surgeons to acquire microsurgery skills? We’re talking stitching together small blood v
Packed with charm, AI and cloud technology, Sony’s rebooted robot dog doesn’t come cheap. Read more here: https://tcrn.ch/2LlwOiH TechCrunch is a leading tec
Awesome Sony robots in Japan! They move really smoothly and quickly for machines. I'm impressed.
Sony’s advanced robot Ace has gone head to head with elite athletes, showcasing incredible speed, precision and reaction times far beyond human capability. With
Dec. 24th 2005 at the SONY building in Tokyo, Japan. QRIO on the left has a new camera, the wrists bend, the hands pivot, and the thumbs work independent of the
Sony Revealed it's microsurgery assistance robot capable of automatic surgical instrument exchange and precision control. #Robot #Robotics #Sony
See Sony's aibo in action playing in the Sony CES 2019 Booth. Learn more about #SonyCES here: bit.ly/2SonyCES Learn more about aibo here: http://bit.ly/aiboU
Sony is showing off its new surgical robot tool. The prototype was recently unveiled at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers' International Con
Subscribe to our YouTube channel for free here: https://sc.mp/subscribe-youtube Sony has released a robotic dog that is meant to do scheduled checks on family
Heat Index
Serious60/100
A composite of competitive footprint, funding, press velocity, active partnerships, and supply-chain edges. Different from the Intelligence score below (which is per-form-factor productization). Non-robotics companies cap at 25.
Reality vs attention
Sony Corporation draws attention at the 89th percentile but verifies reality at the 46th percentile among quadrupeds. Hype Gap +42.7, 2nd widest among quadrupeds.
6-month trend
Analysis
Clean safety record across 4 verified deployments. Broad public reach with 4.9M video views. Limited public funding data for capital position assessment.
Signal flags
Dimension breakdown
Verified signal
Attention (reach, not merit)
DEPLOY Intelligence scores are computed from verified registry data: confirmed deployments, disclosed funding rounds, regulatory filings, active job listings, video viewership, and press coverage. Confidence ratings reflect data availability. Scores update nightly.
DEPLOY Indices — verified vs claimed
Last computed: Sep 16, 2026