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Dollfies meet Furbys: Culture Japan developing mechanical ‘smart doll’

Rachel Tackett Jun 21, 2013
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Many of you may be aware of the television program Culture Japan. For those who aren’t, it’s a program that’s aired in multiple countries and aims to introduce Japan’s greatest pop culture trends to a worldwide audience. The show’s manager, media consultant and jack-of-all-trades Danny Choo, is now venturing into the world of robotics to turn the show’s mascot, Mirai Suenaga, into a unique “smart doll.”

Mirai-chan has already been cast into an adorable Nendroid with the help of figurine manufacturer, Figma. Now she’s living up to her name and becoming the future of mechanical dolls: responsive, interactive, and erotic. We’ve never seen anything like this before!

This 60-centimeter-tall smart doll will be capable of a large range of motions, thanks to the inclusion of 24 separate tiny motors on its lightweight “Aeon Frame.” Not that it will look like a robot from the outside. Skin made of soft vinyl will cover all of the mechanics, leaving us with what appears to be just a tiny moving person. She will react to all manner of direct and indirect actions, including touch, sounds, ultrasonic waves, movement, and light changes. The sensors and software to receive such information are currently in development, and once ready a central processing unit called the “Mirai Core” will be installed in the head of the doll.

Motors connected to the base frame will allow movement of the arms, legs, shoulders and head of the smart doll. There are plans to color the mechanics for the joints so that they match the color of the skin and don’t stand out. A lot of work has gone into giving the joints a great deal of mobility for dynamic poses and to allow for the ever-popular “boob squish pose.”

Speaking of the chest region, thanks to all that extra space afforded by Mirai-chan’s great endowment, there are plans to install a speaker within. This way the doll can respond to its owner not only by moving, but with its voice as well. The smart doll will have downloadable content, such as new character phrases and movement patterns called “Mirai Motions.”

The doll will require an external power source, but it should be possible to change its pose using just your smart phone and a Bluetooth connection.

Just imagine coming home to the robotic voice of your anime-esque doll welcoming you back. She could sit atop your desk, swinging her legs in a natural manner or stand high upon your dresser, shifting her weight from side-to-side as she looks around the room. The thought is either very cool or very creepy. Personally, I’m having flashbacks to a few terrible encounters with Furbys, but for doll enthusiasts and collectors, this could be one of the greatest upgrades imaginable.

We hope to see some follow-up when development is completed and these smart dolls finally hit the market!

Source: Culture Japan via Kotaku Japan
Images via Culture Japan

▼ The skin should cover the entirety of the mechanics.

▼ With big enough knockers, maybe they can install surround sound.

▼ Here’s the Aeon Frame without the skin.

▼ And some dressed up version of Mirai-chan.

▼ Those resin eyes are so deep and sparkly, they’re almost soulful.