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

Cortana, Siri, Alexa - all these are virtual assistants who can answer not too difficult questions, talk about the weather, help the user search for nearby cafes and restaurants. Such assistants have many technical flaws, 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 a regular program for its user. But the Japanese figured out how to visualize the assistant. Moreover, the Japanese company Vinclu Inc released its own version of the virtual assistant, which received its 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 proper 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 expected, is even stockings. The developers say that Azuma Hikari is doing everything possible for its owner.


Advertising shows us everything that a virtual assistant is capable of. 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 you can even correspond with Azuma Hikari during the day. For example, she can write something like “I'll be home soon” to get the answer “I can’t wait.” The chatbot understands what is written and responds foldingly, to the best of its ability.

Having learned about the approach of the owner, she begins to turn on the lights and prepare the microclimate of the room for the arrival of the owner.

Character Azuma Hikarithere is even your own profile on the network. From it you can learn that she is 20 years old, the character is 158 cm tall, she loves donuts, does not like insects. A virtual girl has a dream, she dreams of becoming the one that helps hard-working people. Upon closer examination, it turns out that the girl wears a wedding ring. In general, if someone does not have a real wife, then it is quite possible to buy a virtual one.

True, such a wife will not be able to walk all over the apartment or house, because she lives exclusively in the Gatebox, an apparatus inside which is a computer system and a projector that provides a demonstration of the image of a girl with blue hair. The Gatebox also has special sensors plus a camera to 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 get a portion of fun communication with the character,” the product website says .


Yes, Japanese developers really did everything so that the buyer of the Gatebox system no longer felt lonely. The

Gatebox is equipped with communication modules, including Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. These modules provide synchronization not only with the user's phone, but also with all the 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 devices.

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

Naturally, a virtual wife of this class cannot 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 a cross between a smart virtual assistant from Microsoft, Apple or Amazon and virtual singer Matsu Hatsune (Hatsune Miku). Back in 2010, this creative persona successfully performed on stage.


In addition to Hatsune, the stage also featured virtual Tupac Shakur and Michael Jackson. But lonely people would hardly want Shakur to wake them in the morning. There are probably many more people who want to hear the gentle voice of a virtual wife in the morning.