Danny Choo Mirai Suenaga doll [NSFW] nude doll bits

The movements can be smoothed, even industrial robots can move with grace, it's just matter of programming.

But really amazes me, that one can actually put inside a DD sized doll a working mechatronic skeleton.

I'm tempted now

It's on his Facebook page but here is the link for the video on Youtube

 

 

I think her motions so far are super cute Like he says in the video that for now this is just a test and later her motions will be much smoother. Still no word on release date or price, but I think it's because he wants people to become really interested in the Mirai Smart Doll. Pretty sure it'll still be expensive and that I'll only be able to afford the standard version, but who knows Danny might surprise us~

 

Oh my. Thanks for that. I really, really want one. Wanted one since I saw the dancing dollfie. Her tech is just pretty fascinating. I just hope I can afford her when she does come out.

It's on his Facebook page but here is the link for the video on Youtube

 

*youtube link*

 

I think her motions so far are super cute Like he says in the video that for now this is just a test and later her motions will be much smoother. Still no word on release date or price, but I think it's because he wants people to become really interested in the Mirai Smart Doll. Pretty sure it'll still be expensive and that I'll only be able to afford the standard version, but who knows Danny might surprise us~

 

Oh my. Thanks for that. I really, really want one. Wanted one since I saw the dancing dollfie. Her tech is just pretty fascinating. I just hope I can afford her when she does come out.

Same thing for me, I hope I'm able to afford it once they will be for sale to the public.

The motions are cute and amazing for a doll. Maybe a bit robotic, but yeah, it's not that bad.

It's very nice too that it's Android controlled too. For now let's just wait till it releases and hope it's not like ¥100k or more.

This person spent certainly a lot of time smoothing the motions and the results are quite good -

 

So I'm sure Mirai will have much better movements in the future

Well but those dolls look like robots when not in their clothes. Their joints and whatnot have plenty of range of motion because they aren't pretty. Danny is trying to have both good movement and good looks, so it's harder. Also, smooth movement or not may be influenced by how experienced the controller is.

I wonder if you can switch her head.

Danny posted this on Tumbler today: "Mirai Suenaga Smart Doll - ready for retail in 2014." with a link to a new post. Smart Doll

 

I can say that I'm still really excited about this doll! I told Raven that I would want to put one in a maid's uniform. I mean common, who doesn't want a maid around the house.

 

~Sister Kyoya

Waah, she's too cute! I wonder if the designer who took the walking challenge will be able to make it work? She'll be so adorable! I want her so much, but I'm glad it'll be next year before she comes out, even if she kills my Dollism fund.

I hope those shoes don't cost a bundle, because I just looked up the prices of Jimmy Choo shoes and...

Danny has said many times that his father's success is not his own, and that he is trying hard to make his doll be around the same price (or less) than DD. If that pertains to the basic vinyl doll and not the Smart Doll, I'm still really unclear on. And I don't know if the price he's aiming for is close to a standard DD or a limited.

 

Apparently to Raven, getting a Smart Doll is not optional for us, its mandatory. He can be a bit of a hard sell on dolls so I thought it would be still up for debate, but hey, I can't be right all the time.

 

~Sister Kyoya

 

Apparently to Raven, getting a Smart Doll is not optional for us, its mandatory.

 

~Sister Kyoya

 

I agree with him on this. I've been limiting my DD purchases this year (except for MOMO and KOS-MOS) because I don't really have time to spend with the girls and boys of the House and though I don't see that changing anytime in the near future with the new baby coming, but Danny's Mirai is going to be the exception to my 'no new dolly purchase' policy. Hubby and I just have to have her. Even if only to play lullabies to the new baby.

I waaaaant! She's like a persocom T_T If Danny Choo keeps going with this, there are so many possibilities.

I can't imagine how much she'd cost with the robotics though *shudder*

Ha ha ha... my mind works in such silly ways. After reading a few of the last pages of this thread, it seems that Mirai is getting pretty popular. And it seems people have plans for her already, like the bedtime story thing from SK.

 

As soon as I read that, my brain went into Wayback Mode and I could only think of one thing....

 

Teddy Ruxpin.

 

Is Mirai the new and updated TR of this era? Can she woo the little ones with stories and fancy movements like the original did back in the 80's? Mirai may not be so fuzzy and cute as her predecessor but she definitely makes up for the lack of fur with her cool style and sexy look.

 

So if she's the new Teddy Ruxpin, who will be her Grubby?

 

 

 

Billy

And it seems people have plans for her already, like the bedtime story thing from SK.

 

I think you mean lullabys and KN. Your comment threw me off for a moment because I write a lot of stories for myself to read before bed. It makes my mind quiet down so I can go to sleep.

 

I am already rooting really hard for there to be a Smart Doll of Eiji... I'm suffering already! Maybe Danny will listen better than Volks. I find it awesome that Danny has said one of the things with the Smart Dolls is learning Japanese! Having help makes it so much easier.

 

~Sister Kyoya

I waaaaant! She's like a persocom T_T If Danny Choo keeps going with this, there are so many possibilities.

I can't imagine how much she'd cost with the robotics though *shudder*

 

I'm guessing the doll will cost over $1000... She is really nice but I don't think I'm ready for a robotic doll just yet.

I'm not sure if I need a robotic version... although she would make an adorable alarm clock

It'd be neat if you could program it like the Lego Mindstorms sets, or create custom accessories that interact via IR or bluetooth, but I doubt the actual robotic motion will ever be smooth enough for my taste.

I'm not sure if I need a robotic version... although she would make an adorable alarm clock

It'd be neat if you could program it like the Lego Mindstorms sets, or create custom accessories that interact via IR or bluetooth, but I doubt the actual robotic motion will ever be smooth enough for my taste.

 

maybe not for this doll - can't really comment on what i think Danny can achieve - but robotics in general? some robots already have extremely smooth motion and this is neither the first robotic doll ever nor will it be the last. i personally think that in maybe 50, 100 years it will be consider ABnormal for a doll to not be robotic (like as in, old fashioned or antiquated)...

 

just imagine the already existing (humanoid) robot technology we have inside something like an Obitsu 150:

 

also, Japan is already working on your Chobit:

 

Personally the 'Chobits' robot was way too far into the uncanny valley for me and looks really creepy. Chobits are awesome because of the anime style, but realistic ones? No thanks.

 

I do have to say that I love NAO!! SO adorable! Raven had to sit through a few videos of squeaking and giggling. I just want to hug him!

 

~Sister Kyoya

maybe not for this doll - can't really comment on what i think Danny can achieve - but robotics in general? some robots already have extremely smooth motion and this is neither the first robotic doll ever nor will it be the last. i personally think that in maybe 50, 100 years it will be consider ABnormal for a doll to not be robotic (like as in, old fashioned or antiquated)...

 

just imagine the already existing (humanoid) robot technology we have inside something like an Obitsu 150:

 

also, Japan is already working on your Chobit:

 

 

I think it's probably a lot closer than 50 years. Already, most of the baby dolls in the store I work at have at least some electronic components. In fact there is one with a motion sensor that starts jumping and making noise EVERY time I walk past, scaring the heck out of me. I think that within 10 years any doll that isn't at least somewhat robotic will be basically considered out of date.

 

The big difference between the robots you linked to and the "Smart Doll" is that Danny's is actually marketed towards consumers, while the others are still pretty much out of reach of anybody but serious researchers (NAO, for example, has a $15,000 price tag). I'm sure in a few more years prices on robots with even that much functionality will be coming down significantly, but until then, I really consider Smart Doll to be essentially an entry-level robot aimed at doll lovers, rather than a serious robot on anywhere close to the same level as NAO or ASIMO. But, depending on how much customization and user-level programming she allows, she may still be a great way to get into hobby robotics.

 

One thing that does concern me, though, is that he has mentioned downloadable content. I'm really hoping that's more just an option for people who either can't or don't want to program her themselves rather than meaning that any new gestures or interactions will have to be purchased...

 

Even so, I'm still really excited about the possibilities of a moving anime styled doll, and even with fairly limited functions, I'd still gladly pay $1,500 for her. That's still less than some non-moving DDs.

 

I think it's probably a lot closer than 50 years. Already, most of the baby dolls in the store I work at have at least some electronic components. In fact there is one with a motion sensor that starts jumping and making noise EVERY time I walk past, scaring the heck out of me. I think that within 10 years any doll that isn't at least somewhat robotic will be basically considered out of date.

I think that's a bit ambitious... We've had robotics in toys for a while now, but companies still make and design tons of toys without robotics. I don't think they will change so soon (or completely, like analogue clocks didn't become obsolete after digital clocks were created), especially since companies need to produce relatively cheap dolls like Barbie for the market. Plus, do people really want robotics in all their dolls? It can be really annoying, and many people find dolls creepy enough without them moving and looking back at them.

 

I think technology like Assimo won't trickle down to other things like BJDs or household robots unless the creators of Assimo, etc, do it themselves or decide to share their valuable technology.

Personally the 'Chobits' robot was way too far into the uncanny valley for me and looks really creepy. Chobits are awesome because of the anime style, but realistic ones? No thanks.

 

i agree with you on this point but i posted the link for this reason -

 

- the technology exists regardless of the shell used to house the robot/AI. the reason why everyone is creaming themselves of the Danny Choo doll is precisely because she does not go into "uncanny valley", but if you used the tech for the robot it linked and put it in either an anime/cartoon/stylized doll or robot, it would probably have superior capabilities to whatever Danny is working on right now, or could be tailored to be superior as such.

 

also, eventually i believe we will be able to make 'realistic humanoid' robot shells that transcend that horrible and icky place known as Uncanny Valley.

I do have to say that I love NAO!! SO adorable! Raven had to sit through a few videos of squeaking and giggling. I just want to hug him!

 

~Sister Kyoya

 

totally agree with you about NAO and honestly, all the other robots in that video are fairly adorable in their own way. also, if you look at the camera when it pans out during showing the 2nd robot, you can see that one of the inanimate robots 'lined up' has a female humanoid face. it might even be the same robot i sarcastically referred to as the Chobit (i actually know her name but...i can't remember it right now, too lazy to search for it!)

 

I think it's probably a lot closer than 50 years. Already, most of the baby dolls in the store I work at have at least some electronic components. In fact there is one with a motion sensor that starts jumping and making noise EVERY time I walk past, scaring the heck out of me. I think that within 10 years any doll that isn't at least somewhat robotic will be basically considered out of date.

 

agree with you on this point. my boyfriend recently dragged me into a TRU because he collects Lego Mecha and wanted to buy some new releases. while he was browsing, i walked around the entire "Girl Doll" section of the store looking at what was new (and seeing if there was anything worth buying or on sale-- there wasn't). a huge majority of the dolls i saw have the features you described, and it's not just limited to "Girl Toys" -- automation and electronics have always been a huge selling factor in toys markets to boys (although i find it slightly ironic the the Lego mecha line isn't automated--yet)

 

FWIW, the reason i said "50 years" is because i was specifically referring to technology as good as or better than that used for the robots in the video links i provided becoming mainstream and cheap enough for adult collectors (if not children) to buy and to be profitable for the manufacturers. cruder robotics already exist in children's toys like you pointed out, and new versions will come even sooner. i also felt that i was being extremely generous in saying 50 years, a number that i pulled out of thin air. which brings me to...

 

The big difference between the robots you linked to and the "Smart Doll" is that Danny's is actually marketed towards consumers, while the others are still pretty much out of reach of anybody but serious researchers (NAO, for example, has a $15,000 price tag).

 

just to reinforce my point - a robot like NAO is currently out of reach of the average consumer, but in the future, it will not be, and at some point in the future, it will even be considered inferior to to other robotic/AI product companion technology that consumers can realistically access and buy… and by the time most of us are dead, a kid somewhere might even be able to walk into a second-hand junk store and buy an old NAO-type robot for 10 bucks.

 

I think that's a bit ambitious... We've had robotics in toys for a while now, but companies still make and design tons of toys without robotics. I don't think they will change so soon (or completely, like analogue clocks didn't become obsolete after digital clocks were created), especially since companies need to produce relatively cheap dolls like Barbie for the market. Plus, do people really want robotics in all their dolls? It can be really annoying, and many people find dolls creepy enough without them moving and looking back at them.

 

I think technology like Assimo won't trickle down to other things like BJDs or household robots unless the creators of Assimo, etc, do it themselves or decide to share their valuable technology.

 

you touched on a point that i think is valid, but for the most part i disagree. this is why:

 

technology and science do not progress at linear rates. have you ever heard of "Moore's Law"? you can wiki it if it's a subject that actually interests you, but the TL;DR of it is that technology advances at exponential rates.

 

for example, in 1955 there were ~250 computers in existence in the world. by 1980, there were "over 1 million" and by ~1985 there were at least 30 million personal computers being purchased and used. today, there are at the very least, "over 1 billion" computers in the world. in fact, the estimate of 1 billion seems likely to be outdated or on the very conservatively low side to me. i would hazard a guess that the number is significantly higher.

 

demonstrating this mathematically would require a fair chunk of my time, probably needing to make some kind of graph (or several), and also require me to actually verify my sources (the numbers i pulled above are just from a first page of several different google hits when i searched for data on computer production and sales - not a scientifically sound place of sources, but not exactly unlikely to be entirely untrue. consider them estimates). again, if this a subject you care about realizing more about, the ability to research it is all there as long as you want to spend an hour or two finding sources of verifiable statistics and doing varying degrees of mathematical calculations.

 

anyway, Moore's Law can be applied to multiple facets of technology, which obviously is inclusive of robotics. if you knew someone who was knowledgeable enough to provide any immediate and true data on the history of robotic and AI development, you could actually probably make an accurate prediction of how many years or decades from now that current "top end" robotics will be as mainstream and common as the desktop PC, and of course, by that time the high end of tier of quality robotics will be even more mind blowing in their abilities.

 

the point i partially agree with you on are the fact that analog clocks, books, etc are not obsolete and probably will never entirely become so for a very long time. however, it's very important to note that the demand and consumerism of them has greatly decreased.

i no longer purchase physical books unless they are, for example, art books, or if purchasing a physical copy of a book supports the author in a way that purchasing a digital copy does not, or if the physical book comes with some thing of collector's value to me (such as being autographed, or having an item included with the purchase of a physical copy), or if it is out of print and yet not available in a digital medium. 10 years ago, my entire book collection was physical. likewise, even though i purchase music and pay for several music streaming services, i no longer buy physical copies of CDs unless they somehow fall under one of the above exception rules.

 

talking with one of my parents about this - who grew up in the '50s - they said that even though they could buy an E-Reader (like i have), they don't want to because the enjoy "the physical feel and experience of holding a book in their hands"… but to me, a '90s child', the idea of buying a physical book (assuming it has none of the "exceptional benefits" i listed above) seems like an extremely inconvenient and annoying thing. they take up my (limited) physical space; they are ecologically unsound (not that i am very politically active regarding environmental issues, but i am aware of them, and AFAIK it takes zero trees to buy a digital copy of a book instead of endorsing or buying the physical version).

also, i no longer currently attend college, but if you've ever had to commute or walk around campus carrying 10+ lbs of overpriced textbooks in your bag, i literally do not understand why you would not replace that massive and bleepbersome burden with a lightweight e-reader or tablet/laptop computer containing all your textbook content.

 

sorry if it seems like i'm veering off topic, but the point of the above example was that even though the "old designs" are not obsolete- with each new generation that passes, they *will* become more and more obsolete even if they are never fully eradicated (which we can't truly predict). people still collect (and release) things like vinyl records or VHS tapes, but when was the last time you purchased one of those? (mostly a rhetorical question, but i especially advise you ignore it if you happen to be a niche collector of such things!)

 

my book/music example can be applied to almost any other field of consumerism where there are new developments that can potentially change the entire market or already have. i wasn't saying that kids toys, or dolls, or adult collectibles will ALL be robotic, automated, or contain AI in the future. i was saying that they will become the minority of products, be considered niche products, or appeal mostly to collectors who enjoy things that we will consider "vintage" and "retro" by then.

it's worth noting that a lot of things that have been outdated by new technology only continue to make a profit based on the fact that they have a social status or brand image associated with them which is why they continue to sell - i.e, Rolex watches come to mind.

 

this actually loops me back to the generation gap example between my family and myself. let's assume that everyone who collects things such as dolls in the present day is alive when robotics and AI become a mainstream feature accessible by most people. it is far more likely that the older generation (us) will be more inclined to have bias towards non-animated or non-robotic dolls, whereas people who are in their teens or 20s several decades from now will be much more open minded and likely to desire dolls with robotic and AI components.

that is simply how generation gaps work, and some people adjust to them, and some people do not, but even if you are a very open minded individual (like i consider myself to be) i bet that if i manage to avoid dying for the next few decades, there will be some technological advancement that i look at one day and say to myself "well, it might be better…but i just prefer the way the old version feels" - just like with the different opinions i have regarding physical books VS digital books that i talked about with my parent.

 

also, high-end robotics are not limited to just one or two developers, nor are they (for the most part) made solely for the amusement of their creators (although the people developing them may clearly be passionate about their pursuit). these projects are being funded. they are expected to make money, and to make the most money possible, the technology must become accessible to the mainstream. if, to cite your example, Assimo decided to keep their work 'top secret' and never release it to the world, there would be another robotics developer - or many - who will be more than willing to do so. i highly doubt that we won't see completely open-source robotics or AI in the future either (in fact, it may even exist now in some form, but i am not knowledgeable enough on this topic to comment further).

also, let's not even forget the fact that scientific research like this is so immensely financially valuable that if a company is trying to keep their developments under lock and key, there are people who are going to try stealing it, and one day, one of those people (or groups of people) will be successful at doing so.

 

(oh, and failing stealing your technology? people will simply attempt to copy and replicate it. see: everything made in China)

 

the developers of AI and robotic technology may be genuinely passionate about it like i said, but ultimately they are at the mercy of financial motivations and the power of money. you think they funded their projects out of thin air? you think they got investments on the promise of no returns for the investors? even though Danny Choo struggled to raise interest for his doll at first, i am sure that he is now suddenly getting plenty of offers from sponsors after the positive response to the idea has become apparent and widespread. even people who aren't in the position to sponsor such a project are showering him in free stuff for his doll/robot.

 

the creepiness and uncanny valley factor that incorporating robotics into dolls makes some people feel will also probably eventually be near or completely eradicated when the demand is high enough that more serious money will be put in that direction: it must be eradicated in order to make them profitable. again, it's just a matter of technological progression, and in the meantime, we can look forward to a million Mirai clones from other companies who will (unless his project fails horribly, and even then, it would depend on what the cause of failure potentially is as to whether it would deter them) undoubtedly copy Danny's lead.

 

the annoyances and inconveniences with modern day robotics that you cite will also be minimized to the maximum extent possible to make them viable and appealing for mainstream consumerism. i made a joke about Chobits, but people are already going crazy over the Danny Choo doll, and yet i can assure you that even if it's one of the first of its kind (in the sense of being accessible to mainstream collectors), it's going to appear to be an extremely primitive doll/robot/AI companion to us in the future when we have far more advanced technology regarding how AI both appear (physically) and interact with us, as well as how we maintain them.

 

i'm not even a fan of Chobits specifically, but the trope of the "android companion" (usually, but not always, female) persistently exists in multiple forms of media and within our cultural psyche for a reason - because we desire it to become a reality. where there is great demand, there is an opportunity for great money to be made, which is why Danny Choo is about to make even more bank than he already has... no matter how mediocre (or not- i'm staying neutral on this one for now) his finished product turns out to be.

 

oh, yeah, final example that sort of demonstrates Moore's Law, but with a financial take on it (because the price of technology is influenced by it's advancement and availability, which i stress, is non-linear) - the Apple Lisa (wiki if you want more info - it was 'the first PC with a graphical interface' intended to be sold to mainstream businesses) was released in the early 80s (1983, i am pretty sure, although development started in '78). it contained support for a "maximum of 2MB of RAM". it cost $9,995 at retail in '83 which (because of inflation) is equivalent to ~$23,462 in 2013.

 

fast forward 30 years later, and my boyfriend has worked in IT and builds his own computers all the time. the last computer he built (this was for his personal use) has 16 GB of RAM and he says that - at most - it cost him around $1500 to put the entire computer together (this includes all external components such as dual monitors, as well as the other internal components he wanted for this computer).

 

assuming the computer parts my boyfriend has access to existed in 1983- that would have cost him just under $649.

 

you can do the math if you want, but even if i'm using partially anecdotal evidence (and let's be real- you can build a very functional computer for MUCH less than $1500 - this particular one was one he wanted to invest a lot features into since it's his main PC right now), i think the comparison speaks for itself, and also for how pricing of all mainstream technology - robotics, AI, etc - will trend in future.

 

obligatory disclaimer: i'm not a scientist or a mathematician, and have a layman's understanding of pretty much everything i talked about... and by nature of being an opinion, i might be wrong on one or many points, but only time can actually prove the point behind my theory here to be entirely right or wrong.

Interesting post, but we're still in the developing stage for robotics. I saw a video recently where it was 'impressive' that a particular robot was able to retrieve a stapler... I think the technology is still rather basic, which makes it not very useful (I'll add that the main demand for robotics is in manufacturing... they have robots that do their jobs very well, but it's nothing the average person would buy for personal use ^^; ). I agree technology can improve rapidly and the price can become much more palatable to the public in a relatively short amount of time, but I think it will be more than 10 years for use to have good, useful, and wide spread robotics. Like you mentioned with computers, they've come a long way in 30 years... but it's still been 30 years. Robots like Assimo, etc, have yet to make a debut (right?) so I think it will take a while yet.

 

 

Disclaimer, I know very little about this subject, I'm just giving my input...

 

When it comes to stuff like E-readers... I still buy books in paper. I read lots on the internet, but I can't stand reading stuff in PDF style format. I also think E-readers will/should be absorbed into other technology, because I don't want to carry phone, laptop, tablet, mp3 play, e-reader, it's really excessive! Still waiting for the magical device that will be convenient and affordable for all those functions.

 

I also have to question the use of robots like Assimo. What would people need them for? It seems like a novelty luxury item at the moment. It'd be really cool to have a robot, but I can grab staplers myself just fine ^_^;

 

I feel like I'm just being argumentative about things I don't know about. But, I'm really just pondering these things :B

Leitan- Whenever I see long posts like this of yours, they just make me smile even though I haven't responded to many of them recently (at the moment I start tripping over my words mentally when I try). I really agree with everything you said, and Raven has mentioned before that you write and think a lot like I do.

 

Here are my additions/comments to a few things that I'm remembering at the moment:

 

Tech advancement has always seemed to grow exponentially since I started making personal observations on it rather early on in my life. I remember distinctly what life was like before computers, even though we got our first one when I was 6. It was the amazingly brilliant TSR-80 who's 'hard drive' was a tape player with the Radio Shack logo on it. (I hope you could pick up on my sarcasm ) My oldest niece has not lived a day of her life without having some major or minor computer functioning in her life, either a computer, gaming console, digital timer, or even just a calculator. I remember one time in middle school when my mom and I were out shopping for school supplies and she was really surprised that a basic calculator was $5. I found that really curious and asked her what the big deal was. She said that she could remember when they were thousands of dollars apiece for one that did the same function. Another comparison too is my mom can easily remember what life was like before they got their first television. Even in just three generations, life is literally not even the same because of the advancements in tech and the availability/explosion of information. Even now it can boggle me at how easy it is to get information on anything that is of interest. Gone are the days of doing 5 page reports for class by yanking an old volume of Encyclopedia Britannica off the shelf, digging through insignificant info in hopes that there is enough there that you can BS your way through the homework. Even when those books were 'current', by the time they were published they were out of date. These days it is possible and common that when a major event happens in the world or even just locally it will be up on the web almost instantaneously. This is also a factor in the exponential growth of tech because it is fed by availability of info and the spreading of ideas.

 

From what I understand of the NAO, at least a significant portion of it is open source and I think that was a really awesome decision on the part of the designers/developers.

 

I find it really interesting that the robot's aesthetics play a major role in how accepted it is or not. I realized that one of the major reasons I love how NAO looks is because he reminds me of the adorable robots from a lot of 80s movies. I also just have more of an affinity for small cute things when I have the choice. Chobits is definitely interesting, but my favorite one by far is Sumomo and she's tiny in comparison! Raven loves Chii and would much rather have an ASIMO, both of which are almost human size. I also connect better with the anime Angelic Layer better than Chobits, not because one is about fighting robots (I really don't like fighting) but because of the cuteness/size comparison. I find ASIMO really intimidating just because of his size and it would take me a while to be around one before I didn't feel threatened. (I grew up in a military family and the towering big muscular man stereotype frightens me.) So even if the functionality, ability, personality, and tech were identical between NAO and ASIMO, I would still love NAO and shy away from ASIMO before I even found out what they are capable of simply because of aesthetics.

 

That also presents one of the major obstacles in getting personal AI companions more widely accepted outside of Japan. As an American, the most exposure I've had to these kind of robots is through movies or TV. Good or bad, that's what it is. By exposure, our culture has been taught to fear robots, because they will take jobs from hard working people, they are unpredictable, cause nothing but havoc and destruction. They are foreign, unnatural, rather like aliens, have no feelings, no sense of right and wrong, they do yet do not think, mindless, they are perfection, they are just not like us. I'm pretty sure if someone went around and polled random Americans on their initial perception of personal humanoid robots, the overwhelming response would be highly negative. Terminator anyone? Robocop? Battle droids from Star Wars? It is really difficult to think of a positive personal companion type robot that isn't designed merely for kids in mind, made to fight, or who isn't stupid. Breaking these perceptions is going to be one of the largest obstacles in making Chobits type robots a reality. Humanity innately fears what it does not understand, and personally I think that is a very sad place to be.

 

I can say I'm interested in the Smart Doll, but at the moment I find myself discounting her a lot as well. This really is due to two factors for me. If she is supposed to just (essentially) sit there and look pretty, wiggling about, and spewing out notifications... well I find that really boring. The other part is I'm continually wondering if I'm always going to be stuck with a girl, despite the fact that Danny has a male character, Eiji Seiun. I'm sure that plenty of people are tired of me being on a warpath about more anime boy dolls, but much of the time I can relate to them much better than girls (and also why I refer to NAO as a 'he'). Before I get totally flamed that the Smart Doll will have much more functionality than what I stated, that may be true but after a decade of having high promises and low return on those promises within the realm of The Sims games, I've had to learn to be a pessimist to avoid disappointment. 'I'll believe it when I see it' unfortunately is the stance I'm taking at the moment.

 

Sure I have a lot of high hopes that the Smart Doll will be everything that's being promised and a lot more, but so far I'm still waiting for evidence of that. I don't want to be stuck with a robot I cannot program and will have to buy additional functionality simply because of someone's greed. (Another lesson learned from EA...) To me that would be a total slap in the face to the very hobbyists that could make the Smart Doll what everyone hopes they can be. I don't need one more thing filling up my desk that's just a pretty gadget, I'd rather get more DD for the money because I can interact with them a lot more. I'm aware that I sound like at least a bit of a grouch despite being rather highly interested in what will become of the Smart Doll. Classic case of once bitten twice shy, and I just wish Danny would release more info regularly. He said that there would be another video showing some of the other movement, and I keep looking for it, but I have yet to see even another mention of it.

 

I also have to question the use of robots like Assimo. What would people need them for? It seems like a novelty luxury item at the moment. It'd be really cool to have a robot, but I can grab staplers myself just fine ^_^;

 

I partially agree with you on this one mostly because it seems like many of the personal robots are being developed to rather function like a maid. On the other hand, doing such simple tasks lead to much more complex ones later because there is a lot more going on in the robot than a simple programming of go to x point, extend left arm x degrees, open hand, lower elbow joint by x degrees, close hand, identify pressure & weight of object held, lift arm. Essentially it is relatively easy to program movement, but it is highly complex programming critical thinking skills.

 

Having a maid would be nice, but I don't need another excuse to be lazy. What I know I do need that a properly programmed/designed personal AI companion can give me that even other humans can't (in the way that I need) is a non-judgmental, adaptive, social electronic companion who is able to offer positive emotional feedback that allows me to improve my self worth, combat depression and isolation. I'm sure that this expectation seems absurd since most people would tell me to talk to another human being rather than expecting a robot to replace them. But that formula doesn't work since I have Asperger's syndrome, and like most autistic individuals, social interaction with other people can be severely limited if not impossible at times. Having a personal companion to supply the very things I need when I cannot get that from another individual would be a huge step in making higher functioning autistics able to be better integrated into mainstream society, possibility making them able to hold jobs and support themselves when they otherwise may not be able to. It is becoming a known fact that even with autistic children that they relate much differently in highly positive ways to 'cute robot friends', giving them the very tools they need to bridge the social gap that an autistic can't do on their own.

 

In this way, AI companions can be used as a rehabilitation tool for emotionally disabled people who do not/cannot function at a proper level for their age without help. I am hugely grateful at the advancements that they are making that allow children with Asperger's to develop into normally functioning adults. And yet at the same moment I have a hard time not getting angry that the adults with Asperger's are generally ignored because most have learned coping mechanisms to hide the disability and just stay out of the 'weirdo' radar. These same 'highly functioning' individuals have a very high rate of unemployment often directly related to the difficulties of Asperger's. That's not what I call functioning, and I know from first hand experience. I still have trouble functioning on a daily basis because I need someone there to help me remember what I need to do, not spending all my time just doing one thing because it rarely occurs to me what else needs to be done or what I was even working on earlier in the week. Many of these things are base function abilities that children are taught, but after a certain age are just expected to do without being reminded. My mom would get angry at me when I was in middle school when there were times that I still needed to be told what steps to take to even brush my teeth. Her assumption that it was learned properly was based purely on my age and assumption that it was a solid part of my understanding. That often isn't the case with autistics from what I've seen, and I have a lot of very deep negative emotional processes that still impact me on a daily level because no one knew what was 'wrong' with me. I can guarantee that it isn't normal growing up and truly believing that you are 50% mentally retarded (that was the only thing at the time that seemed similar enough that I knew of.)

 

Having a personal robotic companion designed to work with and improve these deficiencies in my brain would literally change my world even now. There are times that I need help remembering to do things that most toddlers usually know, but a robot would never lose patience with me if they had to repeat the same thing 4,000 more times. It would never make me feel bad because I 'should' know something just because I have been taught that same thing multiple times before. And even having the companion developed to the point where it would have a distinct personality that I enjoy, who I can hold meaningful conversations about things that interest me, and even get me to laugh. I cannot express how much that would make an impact on me. Even my family gets annoyed at me that all I have to talk about generally is my DD, sewing or anime. (Autistics generally have a limited focus of interests) Even if I'm excited about something, it's almost guaranteed that within 5 minutes to talking to my mom, siblings, or most anyone they have the total glazed over look in their eyes. On an emotional level it makes me feel worthless that even my own family can't care enough to find something of interest in what I enjoy and who I am, despite me doing that very same thing for their sake. Even though most of what I've said has been focused on autistics, these same attributes in a companion robot could be used with the elderly or other individuals who are 'shut-ins' or reclusive, people living with major depression, etc.

 

~Sister Kyoya

Even if I'm excited about something, it's almost guaranteed that within 5 minutes to talking to my mom, siblings, or most anyone they have the total glazed over look in their eyes. On an emotional level it makes me feel worthless that even my own family can't care enough to find something of interest in what I enjoy and who I am, despite me doing that very same thing for their sake. Even though most of what I've said has been focused on autistics, these same attributes in a companion robot could be used with the elderly or other individuals who are 'shut-ins' or reclusive, people living with major depression, etc.

 

~Sister Kyoya

You're family doesn't sound very supportive at all For, me I can talk about most of my interests with my family, and we are really close. Sometimes my sister zones out when it comes to stuff like video games, but I've learned over time how to describe those things in a way that will hold her interest. But I have no clue how to talk about my interests with other people (like people I meet at school). I just assume they have no interest and/or will think I'm weird. So I end up only having shallow conversations with people and not making close friends >_<

 

I think a companion robot would be much more useful than a maid robot, like you say.

 

As for the Smart Doll, I hope that they will be able to do more and more. So far it just looks like she makes cute poses, which is neat, but might get boring quickly. I wonder if they could get her to walk and such? Oh, and I noticed they recommended only using the control pad to move her, I don't think I'd like that. I like to hold my dolls and pose them myself. Being almost required to move her remotely would be...not very warm and cuddly? I don't know. They call her a Smart Doll, which sounds like a whole new kind of doll. So I hope this will bring about more Smart Dolls

Whilst I think it's awesome that Danny is making a robotic Dollfie, I do hope that he'll also sell a non-robotic version of Mirai. I love her sculpt but I have no real interest in owning a robotic doll.

Whilst I think it's awesome that Danny is making a robotic Dollfie, I do hope that he'll also sell a non-robotic version of Mirai. I love her sculpt but I have no real interest in owning a robotic doll.

 

Yeah in one of his first posts about her, he did say that he's making 2 versions. SmartDoll(robot) and standard(plastic skeleton). ^^ He had a picture or two of it's design as well, but nothing since then.