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Wanna sleep next to Hatsune Miku? There’s an app for that!

Rachel Tackett Oct 8, 2013
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Up until now, lonely otaku wishing to tuck in with their favorite anime character had to rely on the cotton-blend comfort of their beloved dakimakura, aka “love pillows.” I’m sure it’s nice to wrap around the 2-D image of one’s imaginary lover, but it must be a bit of a letdown considering that a pillow only satisfies two of the major senses: sight and touch. Just think how far these fan’s crazy fantasies could carry them if sound and scent also came into play.

Well, Vocaloid fans rejoice, because a member of Nico Nico Douga’s engineering department has put together an application which allows the user to not only see and interact with a 3-D virtual model of Hatsune Miku in her bed, they can also hear, touch, and even smell her! Talk about dreams come true!

The Sleep Together App featuring Hatsune Miku was developed by a Niconico engineer who goes by Negipoyoshi under the inspiration of a post titled “Summoning Hatsune Miku with Black Magic,” on the net culture information site, NETKARU. With help from Unity and their nifty game engine utilizing the wide-vision head mounted display, Oculus Rift, app users can immerse themselves in the illusion that they are actually sharing a bed with Miku as they slowly drift to sleep.

Upon the start of the program, Miku will refer to the user as “Master” and wish them goodnight as she settles down on the bed beside them. She will shift on occasion and make small, sleepy noises, and if the user becomes restless, she will open her eyes and ask the person what’s wrong before drift back into dreamland. If one puts the program on a timer, Miku can even be used as an alarm clock of sorts, sitting up at the appointed time and urging her master awake.

▼ “Wake up, Master!”

However, the application alone still doesn’t satisfy all of the senses. To meet the need for physical touch, developers have a plain dakimakura which is the same height and relative size as Hatsune Miku. The promotional video explains that it’s also quite springy and good for squeezing.

▼ Grab yourself a fistful of that fluffy flesh.

And then, to give fans the sense that they can smell this virtual character, developers recommend spritzing their pillow with a particular type of perfume: fragrance of a high school girl.

▼ Made from the essence of 16-year-old girls.

It looks like now the only sense that’s missing from this applications and it’s add-ons is something to satisfy our sense of taste, but for all we know that may be the next stage in development. The creator has said that he plans to continue work and to program a number of different activities which Hatsune Miku can perform. Exactly what kind of activities is not clearly specified, though I have a funny feeling that things could easily turn erotic. Should we perhaps be bracing ourselves for a “Sleep Together” Expansion Pack?

Source: Nikkan Vocaloid Guide via jin115 (Japanese)
Images: YouTube

▼ Here’s the video from Nico Nico Douga that explains the development of the Sleep Together App.