The Japanese launched pre-orders for Gatebox, a virtual assistant for lonely people

Cortana, Siri, Alexa - all these are virtual assistants who are able to answer not too complicated questions, talk about the weather, help the user to search for nearby cafes and restaurants. Such assistants have many technical deficiencies, but for many people these services provide quite a lot of help.

Unfortunately, when communicating with a virtual assistant, there is one significant drawback of a not entirely technical nature: you cannot see your interlocutor. That is, touch virtual buttons appear on the screen to control the capabilities of the service, but the assistant remains for the user a normal program. But the Japanese have figured out how to visualize the assistant. Moreover, the Japanese company Vinclu Inc has released its own version of a virtual assistant, who received her own name - Azuma Hikari - and has already launched sales of the system.

So far, only a limited batch of 300 copies has been released, but it may well be that, with due demand for this system, a larger batch will enter the market. Azuma Hikari is positioned as a system for single people. This is a virtual girl in anime style with blue hair, big eyes and a short dress. Everything, as it should be, even has stockings. The developers say that Azuma Hikari does everything possible for its owner.
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Advertising shows us everything a virtual assistant can do. The system can show the weather forecast, work as an alarm clock, control lighting and household appliances (of course, if the interface of the technology itself allows it). But the main thing is that it eliminates loneliness, because with Azuma Hikari you can even correspond during the day. She, for example, can write something like “I will be home soon” to receive in response “I can't wait.” The chat bot understands what is written and responds smoothly, to the best of its capabilities.

Upon learning of the owner's approach, she begins to turn on the lights and prepare the microclimate of the room for the arrival of the owner.

The character Azuma Hikari even has its own online profile. From it you can learn that she is 20 years old, the growth of the character is 158 cm, the girl loves donuts, does not like insects. The virtual girl has a dream, she dreams of becoming the one that helps hard working people. On closer examination, it turns out that the girl wears a wedding ring. In general, if someone does not have a real spouse, then it is quite possible to buy a virtual one.

True, such a wife will not be able to walk around the whole apartment or house, since she lives exclusively in the Gatebox - a device that houses a computer system and a projector that provides a demonstration of the image of a girl with blue hair. Gatebox also has special sensors plus a camera that help the system identify the face and movements of the owner.

Interestingly, Azuma understands what she is told and can answer. "When you are tired or you just have free time - why not just touch the button and not get a portion of cheerful communication with the character," the product website says .


Yes, Japanese developers really did everything to make Gatebox’s buyer no longer feel alone

Gatebox is equipped with communication modules, including Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. These modules provide synchronization not only with the user's phone, but with all smart devices that are in the house. Thanks to its sensors, the system can monitor the microclimate of the room, turning on and off various household appliances.

The authors of the project claim that the virtual girl has a “healing voice”, and she herself supports her master every day. The more the user talks to her, the faster she learns, receiving information about the lives of the owners, as well as about their emotional state. After training, Azuma tries to help his master in case he has a negative emotional state.

Naturally, the virtual wife of this class can not be an inexpensive product. The cost of the Gatebox system is 298,000 yen, which is about $ 2,580. Shipment of a batch of 300 copies will begin in December 2017.


As you can see, virtual assistants are gradually evolving. Gatebox is already something between a smart virtual assistant from Microsoft, Apple or Amazon and the same singer Miku Hatsune (Hatsune Miku). Back in 2010, this creative person successfully performed on stage.


In addition to Hatsune, the virtual Tupac Shakur and Michael Jackson also performed on the stage. But lonely people would hardly want Shakur to wake them up in the morning. Those who want to hear the gentle voice of the virtual wife in the morning are probably much more.