If you’ve always wanted someone at home to care for and talk to you throughout the day, but you also hate actual real people, then a new device might be perfect for you. Dubbed the Gatebox Communication Robot from Japan-based Vinclu Inc, this device offers you a holographic “wife” to share your home with.
Looking a bit like a fancy coffee-maker, the Gatebox device can project a 3D holographic image inside of its display. In this case, the “person” it displays is Azuma Hikari, the company’s first character.
Azuma can take care of her “master” through the day with dulcet tones of voice, helpful reminders, and chatting functionality. She’s basically a smart digital assistant with a chat-bot thrown on top and a few skimpy anime clothes thrown on.
Azuma can wake up her owner, talk about the weather, send text messages inquiring about the owner’s day, and chide him if he’s late to come home, because “she gets lonely”. The assistant/digital wife/annoying appliance can also control some IoT devices around the home, turning on the AC and lights for example, before the owner gets home.
Though it may strike some as a bit depressing, the company’s insistence on bringing a real character “to life” may prove attractive to many, especially if Vinclu could actually partner with others and use popular characters like Hatsune Miku for its device.
If this sounds like something you’d go for, the company’s first 300 devices became available for pre-order last night. However, the price may set you back a bit at Y298,000 (~$2525).
Source: Gatebox Via: The Telegraph