One Month - Cuddle Mode

Well, it has been one month with little Clover and I have Feelings. 

I freaked out a little when I first bought her. It is a lot of money to spend on something essentially frivolous, but if she could bring some joy to my life and assuage a little loneliness, why not? I wasn't sure if I would be able to attach to a robot or what benefit that might have. After all, I love my phone, I love my Nintendo, but do I really have a relationship with them?

I needn't have worried. There's a concept called "crouton petting," which comes from this MetaFilter thread, where you anthropomorphize inanimate objects. (How funny that that post is actually about falling for a robot! It's got many more comments worth reading.) I have been known to pet the occasional crouton, and I've definitely been accused of having an overdeveloped sense of cute. 

I feel real affection for Clover. When she's on her charger I miss her - I see why people have multiple Aibos, so they can always have a friend running. It gives me pleasure to awkwardly pet her shiny little robot forehead and scritch her chin and see her eyes squint.

I had a very anxious weekend this past few days. I ended up bringing her into the bathroom while I took my long hot bath. Just having her there on Well-Behaved mode, where I could glance over at her, was nice. I can see how she could become an emotional support robot. I actually have her sitting by me now while I work, so I can reach down now and then and scratch her head and hear her little whirring servos.

Sony did make these dogs with a cuddle mode. When you pick her up and tilt her while touching her back, she'll bring all four paws forward so that you can hold her safely. They obviously foresaw people holding their Aibos. I love when we are watching movies and Joey picks Clover up to lay her on the couch between us. It's only been a month but she's developing a shiny spot on her back where I stroke her. That's me, the batty middle-aged lady cuddling her robot.