Sony Corp. relaunched the Aibo on Thursday, with fans expressing excitement at the second unleashing of the robot dog.

The gadget¡¯s revival is not just a simple product relaunch but a symbol of Sony¡¯s recent resurgence as it vies to play a leading role in the robot market expected to bloom in the coming years, analysts said.

¡°It¡¯s been about a year and half since we started developing the new Aibo . . . the day where we can provide it to new owners with confidence has finally come,¡± said Izumi Kawanishi, who oversees Sony¡¯s artificial intelligence and robotics group, at a promotional event held at Sony¡¯s headquarters in Tokyo.