"Maxwell" (June's Sony Aibo robot dog) did a handstand!

We bought some new software a couple of weeks back - "Aibo Explorer" and have been amazed at the things Sony's robot is able to do.

However, have you seen Sony's latest announcement? They've unveiled a prototype humanoid robot that can sing and dance. The SDR-4X can recognise faces, voices and names, hold simple conversations and pick itself up when it is pushed over. It will also sing in four-part harmony, shake its hips and wave its arms in tempo. However, Sony say this robot will "cost as much as a luxury car"!

We reckon Sony have missed a beat here. By going straight from the expensive but 'reachable' Aibo, currently selling at around £1,000, a jump to what? £20,000+? puts it well out of reach of the average person. Having seen what Aibo can do, we'd have probably stretched to a couple of thousand or so for the next generation, but 15 or 20 times that amount?

Come on Sony, go in stages and take your fans with you! It is amazing though - there's a BBC video you can watch HERE. You'll need Real Player installed.