Tech
Filters
All
•
News
Interest
Reviews
Columns
Text-only Compact View
Text-only List View
Text-only Grid View
List View with Images
Grid View with Images
Talk to Doraemon With Special Clova Smart Speaker
Fans who want a chance to talk with Doraemon himself are in luck. The new Doraemon model of the Clova Friends mini smart speaker went on sale in Japan on Friday. Similar to Amazon's Alexa, Clova is LINE's AI assistant. In addition the normal functionality of a Clova Friends device, the speaker has a "Doraemoon Talk" feature. For example, if someone tells the speaker "It's hot," the speaker can as...
Innovative Designer Brings Magic Weapons Closer to Reality
FriskP is a tech designer with a steampunk aesthetic. She's created items like a propeller watch that looks like something out of Bladerunner, and her latest creation utilizes similar technology for a stunning, realistic effect. FriskP created a special effects weapon resembling a blaster rifle that appears to create a magic incantation before shooting a fireball. The effect is created by using li...
IBM's Sword Art Online Virtual Reality MMO Wins at 2nd Animonozukuri Awards
A prominent part of Japanese culture is monozukuri (literally, "thing making"), wherein Japanese people take pride in carefully crafting products. Although the term commonly appears alongside traditional Japanese items such as paper fans or pottery, the concept can also apply to goods produced for the anime and popular culture industries. The otaku market brings in a large part of its revenue thro...
Made in Abyss Creator Designs 3DCG Character for VR Company
Akihito Tsukushi, the original creator of the critically acclaimed Made in Abyss anime series, designed a brand-new character to appear in a whole new kind of world. The cat-like character Mokuri was designed for the virtual reality corporation HIKKY. Tsukushi works as a character designer for the company outside of his manga duties. Mokuri is planned as part of the company's overall "Mokuri Proje...
Gundam Designer Collaborates on World's 1st Ridable Transforming Robot Car Project
J-deite Ride LLP, Asratec Corp., Sansei Technologies, Inc., and Brave Robotics Inc. unveiled a prototype of their "ridable transforming humanoid robot" J-deite Ride on Thursday. Brave Robotics also began streaming two videos that show the prototype transforming between its humanoid and car modes with people inside. Anime mechanical designer Kunio Okawara (Mobile Suit Gundam, Yatterman, Armored Tro...
Virtual YouTuber Trend Expands With Talent Agencies, TV Appearances
The trend of virtual YouTubers, who are typically 3D moe girl characters with hidden true identities, is taking off in Japan. As of March, more than 1,000 registered accounts were reported. It doesn't look like the craze will be slowing down any time soon, and various companies, including game developers, are trying to climb onto the bandwagon. Japanese Internet media company GREE, known for its s...
VRChat Turns Japanese Men Into 3D Moe Girls Online
In the not-too-distant future, we may all be living in a society similar to the world of Ready Player One. Virtual and augmented reality technology is rapidly advancing and increasing in popularity. It's no surprise that anime such as Sword Art Online, .hack, and Summer Wars continue to show people occupying alternate virtual realities that may provide more fulfillment that the real world. In Japa...
5 HIDIVE Features for the Anime Fan
HIDIVE has a number of features designed for anime fans. Read more to check out our five favorites.
―
If you do not already have a HIDIVE subscription, you are missing out on a lot! Since launching in 2017, the platform has been providing the anime community with more than just a means to watch anime. HIDIVE has a number of features designed for anime fans. Check out our five favorites: 1. DUBCAST℠
...
'Come to Japan' Campaign: Visit the Kizuna AI Booth at Japan Week for Another Chance to Win a Trip to Japan!
Previously, Kizuna AI talked to us about Japanese culinary culture. This time, she'll be talking about Japan's amazing technologies!
― Hello! I'm Kizuna AI, the (self-proclaimed) world's first YouTuber. I'm also the ambassador of the ‘Come to Japan’ campaign organized by the Japan National Tourism Organization's (JNTO) New York office! Speaking of New York, I'm excited to announce that we will have ...
Gunma's Mecha Maker Is Back With a New Giant Robot
It's been 13 years since Masaaki Nagumo and Sakakibara Machinery Works unveiled the Gundam-inspired 3.4 meter tall land-walker mecha. It retailed for 36 million yen (US$334,000) at the time and was able to walk and fire soft foam bullets. This would only be the beginning, and Sakakibara Machinery followed up its first mecha for a pint-sized, kid-friendly version in 2015 called the Kid's Walker Cyc...
Technical Glitch Reveals Virtual YouTuber's Real Identity
Virtual YouTube personalities continue to rise in popularity in Japan, and the trend's biggest star is undoubtedly Kizuna Ai. The character is best known for her Let's Play videos and video blogs (vlogs) and she's garnered 1.4 million subscribers. Characters like Ai and Kaguya Luna are created using inexpensive motion-sensing technology that converts the real YouTuber into their anime girl avatar....
Full-Size Hatsune Miku Robot Could Be Next YouTube Sensation
It would be an easier question to ask what isn't Hatsune Miku. The virtual idol is winning racecar mascot, has appeared via hologram both inside and outside devices and she's a reoccurring muse for roboticists. Volks used the character to design a two-foot tall moving robot, but Nihon University student "Missile" is upping the ante with a full-size version. Missile displayed his prototype at the t...
Pretty Rhythm Fan Creates Web App to Combat Gory Twitter Spam
User previously used same tech to block King of Prism: PRIDE the HERO film spoilers
― Twitter bot accounts often spam users' feeds with unwanted or inappropriate content. A certain type of Twitter bot account spreads "grotesque images" among users in Japan, and the problem intensified around January 4. The Tweet replies contain explicit photographs of human bodies or similar content. The spam Tweets ...
Oreimo's Ayase Turned in Conversational, Holographic A.I. Girlfriend
Gatebox has paved the way for two-dimensional waifus, first by introducing its "Holographic Communication Robot" in 2016 and followed by establishing its Jigen Tokō Kyoku (Dimensional Voyage Department) and offering a marriage registration service for people who want to record their unions with 2D characters. Gatebox is now updating its Communication Robot from original character Hikari Azuma to a...
Saekano's Megumi Assists Smartphone Users via Bluetooth Headset
A plugin for Sony's Xperia Ear bluetooth device featuring Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend Flat's Megumi Katō as a personal assistant debuted on September 15. Sony also sold a special bundle release for the ear piece and Megumi plugin. Now the company is re-releasing the Megumi edition of the Xperia Ear from December 2-10. With the Megumi plugin, the character assists Xperia Ear owners w...
Virtual Home Robot Developer Lets You Marry 2D Characters on Paper
One fan in Japan had the chance to have a wedding with an adult game character via VR in June. As of this week, all of Japan is now one step closer to officially realizing relationships with 2D waifu. Gatebox established its Jigen Tokō Kyoku (Dimensional Voyage Department) and began offering a marriage registration service for people who want to record their unions with 2D characters. People who w...
Manga Creators Rejoice as Popular Software Launches for iPad
Japanese software developer Celsys' popular Clip Studio Paint EX software, previously only available for PC, launched for iPad on Tuesday. Many of Japan's leading manga creators are celebrating the illustration and manga creation program's new release. The official Clip Studio YouTube channel began streaming a promotional video for the release in seven languages. The video demonstrates the iPad ap...
Transform Your Voice Into an Anime Girl With Free iOS App
An iOS app released on Tuesday will turn user's voices into popular anime characters. R.C. Voice is a real-time voice conversion app that takes the speaker's voice and can turn it into voice actresses' Satomi Satou or Kotori Koiwai. For a price, users can download Satomi Satou as the character Tohoku Zunko, the character developed to support the quake-stricken Tohoku region. She became a Vocaloid ...
Chat With Pikachu via Google Home, Amazon Alexa
The Pokémon Company announced on Wednesday that it will release the Pikachu Talk app for Google Home, Google Home Mini, and Amazon Alexa smart speakers in Japan this year. The app is slated to launch outside Japan in 2018. Users will be able to have a conversation with Pikachu through their smart speakers. However, The Pokémon Company may have to launch a Pikachu language translator before fans ca...
Ultimate Build-Your-Own PC Has Hatsune Miku Dancing Inside
An Osaka PC build has all the bells and whistles, including a dancing Miku hologram on the inside. Twitter user ippupu_ava shared a video captured a few days ago at the computer store PC Ones in Osaka where the build is currently on display. これがPCのサイドパネルだなんて。信じられる?#自作erオフ会 pic.twitter.com/S0kE1lm9sM— Wキーから指が離れない@大阪赤選手 (@ippupu_ava) October 14, 2017 But mini-Miku will take her performance on the ro...
MegaBots, Kuratas Giant Robots Duke it Out Tuesday
China now has a dog, err, monkey in the fight
― After a two-month delay, U.S.-based MegaBots will take on Suidobashi Heavy Industry's million-dollar Kuratas robot in a battle to the death. The skirmish is set for October 17 and will stream on YouTube. MegaBots creators Matt Oehrlein and Gui Cavalcanti completed a successful KickStarter campaign to create what has become Eagle Prime. The company tappe...
PS VR Gets New Model in Japan in October
New model to bundle with PS Camera
― Sony Interactive Entertainment Japan Asia announced on Monday that it will release the new PlayStation VR model CUH-ZVR2 as a bundle with the PlayStation Camera in Japan October 14. Improvements in the new PlayStation VR model include: Updated design with stereo headphone terminal on the back of the unit
Consolidated connection cables
Updated Processor Unit suppor...
Turkish Transforming Robot Car Appears for Transformers Film's Japanese Release
Some fans were dubious about the Letrons project when the Turkish company Letvision unveiled prototypes last year. People question if it draws inspiration from Transformers without giving credit or receiving authorization. However, it appears that the transforming robot car has finally gotten some official recognition from the franchise. The official Letrons Facebook page posted photographs this w...
Researchers Discover Safer Earth Re-Entry Thanks to Gundam
A new technology first utilized by Mobile Suits in Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam could be the answer for safer travels for satellites re-entering Earth. Researchers tested out a real-life version of the series' "ballute" device on a microsatellite named EGG sent from the International Space Station. The hemispherical aeroshell device works like a heat-shielding parachute to ease EGG into the atmosphere....
Toyota's Transforming Robot Van Promotes Traffic Safety
Toyota is giving the Turkish Letrons project a run for its money in the field of transforming cars. Nagoya Toyopet (NTP) unveiled a mecha version of the versatile and popular Hiace van as its official character. Actually, there is no confirmation that NTP has made a real transforming car, but the company is utilizing Sliger Robo for marketing purposes. The robot teams up with Super Sentai-style he...
Ghost in the Shell Realize Project Holds Symposium
The Ghost in the Shell Realize Project partners with companies and university research and development teams to work towards creating the technology from Ghost in the Shell in the real world. The project will hold the "Kōkaku Symposium in InnoFes 2017" at the J-Wave radio station's J-Wave Innovation World Festa 2017 Supported by CHINTAI event. The theme of the symposium will be discussing to what ...
Kodansha Recruiting Staff to Create 'Largest Scale Manga Application in History'
Leading Japanese publishing company Kodansha is recruiting staff to work on, "the overwhelmingly largest scale manga application in history," which they plan to launch at the end of 2017. Kodansha is the publisher Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine, Weekly Shōnen Magazine, Young Magazine, and a wide variety of individual manga titles, such as Attack on Titan, Cardcaptor Sakura, Fairy Tail, and The Seven Dea...
Japanese AI App Features Robot That Can Communicate Like a "Real Girlfriend"
The Japanese smartphone application and artificial intelligence engine SELF, which features a highly-detailed female robot named Ai Furuse, has just added upgraded conversation functionality, promising, "communication close to that of a real girlfriend or partner." The application attempts to model natural human expressions using new animation techniques. The robot character, Ai, can react to diff...
CEO of Niantic Calls Immersive VR, 'Problem for Society,' Advocates for More AR Development
John Hanke, the CEO of Niantic, which made headlines with its wildly popular smartphone game Pokémon Go, recently gave his thoughts on Virtual Reality (VR) games at the Mixed Reality Summit in London. He expressed concerns about the nature of VR, saying, “My thing about VR is I'm afraid it can be too good, in the sense of being an experience that people want to spend a huge amount of time in...I m...
Japan's First School Dedicated to Virtual Reality Opens
Starts to address high demand for VR/AR developers
― Virtual reality (VR), alternative reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR) are three closely related emerging technologies suddenly facing high demand from enterprising technology companies. As such new technologies, though, there is a dearth of expertise to develop the software. On April 1, the Virtual Reality Professional Academy opened in Ochanomizu...
MegaBots, Kuratas Giant Robot Showdown Set for August
The robot battle for the ages has waited in the wings for almost two years since the U.S.-based MegaBots company challenged Suidobashi Heavy Industry's million-dollar Kuratas robot to a battle to the death. MegaBots since completed a successful Kickstarter campaign to outfit its robot and produced a documentary series chronicling the progress. The match was set to appear on television but when was...
Making the World More Like Ghost in the Shell
Robotic bodies, A.I. Companions, Tachikomas--these are just a few of the things shown off at this year's Ghost in the Shell REALIZE PROJECT awards.
Shizuoka Broadcasting Tests Out Virtual Announcer
Shizuoka Broadcasting decided to try something new by utilizing a CG announcer program. According to Spoinichi Annex, this is a first for Japanese television. The station announced on March 30 that it would participate in a test run using Sony and Kyodo Digital News' "News Manager" program. The program converts a news manuscript into spoken word and then delivers the information via a CG model whi...
'Chat' with The Irregular at Magic High School Characters via AI
Last August, Sony Music Entertainment and the Institute of Language Understanding unveiled their "Project Samantha" AI program, which lets users communicate with the character Motoko from mebae's Batō Shōjo (Abusive Girl) manga. On Sunday, the program unveiled the next characters it will bring to life: Tatsuya and Miyuki Shiba from The irregular at magic high school. The service will open on the o...
Ghost in the Shell Realize Project Awards AI, Robotics Researchers
The Ghost in the Shell Realize Project uses the Ghost in the Shell franchise as a means to advance Japan's cutting-edge technology by partnering with companies as well as university research and development teams. The initiative held the "Ghost in the Shell Realize Project the Award 2016" ceremony at AnimeJapan at Tokyo Big Sight on Saturday. The event recognized Japanese companies and development...
Voice Actress Yuka Iguchi Gets Touchy in Million Arthur VR Demo Video
VRでセクハラしまくる井口裕香 pic.twitter.com/6s4ni7HDRH— れいん(@shou54081) March 19, 2017 [Via Hachima Kikō, Siliconera]
Zelda Fan Controls His Home With Ocarina
Have you ever wished you could control the world with a musical instrument the way Link does in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time? Pioneering fan of The Legend of Zelda Allen Pan found a way to do just that. He rigged his home to respond to various ocarina songs from the original game. Pan posted a video on March 17 that demonstrates how he can control his home via ocarina. Fellow tech-savvy ga...
Ghost in the Shell S.A.C.'s 1/8-Scale Tachikoma Smart Toys Synchronize via Cloud
Connected hardware developer Cerevo announced on Thursday that it will release a 1/8-scale "smart toy" of the Tachikoma from Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex anime. The company began streaming a promotional video for the model on Thursday. The model recreates the spider-like Tachikoma robots with artificial intelligence that appear in the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex television ...
Ghost in the Shell VR Diver Smartphone App Launches in Japanese
English dub slated for June
― Production I.G published its Ghost in the Shell The Movie Virtual Reality Diver VR exhibit for iOS and Android devices in Japanese on Friday. The English dub is slated for June 2017. The app is free to download but the video in the app costs US$3.99. A smartphone-compatible VR headset is required to view the app's video content. The 15-minute work offers an original stor...
Japan Gets 2nd Robot-Operated Hotel in Time for 2020 Olympics
Plenty of new hotels are breaking ground in Tokyo in preparation for the 2020 Olympic Games, but few can boast robot dinosaurs on their staff. Located 30 minutes outside of Tokyo's hub, a unique hotel in Urayasu, Chiba opened its doors this month. The 100-room Henn-na Hotel appears normal at first glance, but inside visitors will find two multilingual dinosaurs operating the front desk. They speak...
Sony to End Shipments of Current PlayStation 3 Console in Japan Soon
Sony's official product page for its current standard model PlayStation 3 console lists that shipments are ending soon in Japan. The first PlayStation 3 consoles shipped in 2006. The current slim model launched in Japan in August 2014, replacing a model that launched in 2013. [Via Hachima Kikō]
CIA Operations Hacking Household Devices Have Pokémon Code Names
There could be more Starmies on your phone than you think
― On March 7, the international document archive WikiLeaks disclosed a trove of evidence that America's Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is hacking into computers and household devices to conduct surveillance. The disclosure has reignited a somewhat dormant debate about the right to privacy versus the state's imperative to secure its citizens...
MIT's Super Smash Bros. Melee AI Dominates Against Pros
Scientists at MIT have developed an artificial intelligence that is an actual challenge to its biological gamer counterparts. The CSAIL team trained a neural network in the fine art of Super Smash Bros. Melee and the result was so impressive that it can knock out top ranked players. The team's lead research Vlad Firoiu told TechCrunch that the AI balances a calculating strategy with reckless aband...
Android Idol U Debuts at Tokyo Department Store
Media company Dwango, Osaka University's Intelligent Robotics Laboratory, and department store chain Parco announced their android idol-raising project on Wednesday. "Androidol" U made her debut public appearance at the Ikebukuro Parco store in Tokyo with a Niconico live streaming broadcast. U used artificial intelligence to answer questions and speak live during the broadcast. She asked the audie...
Kemono Friends' Serval Stars in Fan VR Video
Niconico member JAK began streaming a Kemono Friends virtual reality video (VR) on Saturday. The video features a VR version of the character Serval that can interact with a user. Niconico 【VR】サーバルちゃんとフレンズになりたかった Schwarz created the VR model, and Unity Technologies Japan provided part of the script. The television anime adaptation of Nexon's Kemono Friends smartphone game stars Yuka Ozaki as Serva...
AT-X President: AI May Replace Humans in Anime Production
Keisuke Iwata, president of Japan's anime television network AT-X, spoke at Tokyo's Digital Hollywood University last Thursday about a possible transition to using artificial intelligence (AI) in anime. With decades of experience in the industry, Iwata said, "It is fully conceivable that anime production processes may be completely replaced by AI." Iwata has served as a producer for many hit anime...
Doraemon 'Anywhere Door' VR Experience Video Previews Antarctic Adventure
Bandai Namco Entertainment began streaming a promotional video on Friday for the upcoming Doraemon "Dokodemo Door" (Anywhere Door) virtual reality experience. The experience is the latest installment in the company's Project i Can project, which debuted in Odaiba's DiverCity Tokyo Plaza in April. The Tokyo Solamachi shopping and entertainment complex is collaborating with Eiga Doraemon: Nobita no ...
Augmented Reality Idol Unit Holds Debut Concerts This Week
Virtual idol Hatsune Miku has become a household name in the world of Japanese pop culture. However, Miku may need to make way for some new "2.5-dimensional" idols on the block. The Yuke's augmented-reality idol group AR performers are holding their first major live performances at Tokyo's Differ Ariake arena on February 14 and February 15. The Animate Times website recently attended a special adv...
Transformers Phone Crowdfunding Campaign Raises 10x Its Goal in 2 Days
Takara Tomy and Japan's au mobile phone company are collaborating on a project to create cell phones that can change into Transformers figures. The project launched on February 1, and as of the posting of this article, its Makuake crowdfunding campaign has already surpassed its 1,000,000-yen (about US$8,868) goal. The campaign has raised 10,513,800 yen (US$93,236) from 1,171 supporters, and it sti...
Smell-Creating Virtual Reality Device Under Development
Smell some rotting flesh next time you play a zombie game
― Japan is at the forefront of developments in virtual reality (VR) devices, and Vaqso, a firm headquartered in San Francisco but with operations based in Tokyo, is pioneering a device that will let gamers enjoy a sensation long neglected by media developers: smell. Vaqso VR is a device about the size of a candy bar that attaches to the bottom...
Real-World Ghost in the Shell Tachikoma's Personality Depends on You
A half-size interactive Tachikoma robot, like those seen in the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex anime, is debuting at the I.G Store Tour Shop in Osaka's Asia and Pacific Trade Center on Thursday. The website Animate Times began streaming a video on Tuesday that highlights the limited opportunity for people to meet the good-natured robot. People who download Karakuri Products' iOS app Virtu...
Giant Korean Robot Designer Plans to Help Quake-Hit Fukushima
CNN reported on Monday that Hollywood designer Vitaly Bulgarov is developing a 13-foot "robot-powered suit" called Method-2 in Gunpo, South Korea. Bulgarov's latest project is the live-action Ghost in the Shell film starring Scarlett Johansson. He designed the Lamborghini Lockdown for the Transformers films and a robotic boy suit for the latest Robocop film. However, the visual effects expert insi...
Sword Art Online Film About MMORPG Inspires Real-World AR App
The upcoming Sword Art Online the Movie: Ordinal Scale anime film centers on “Ordinal Scale,” an augmented-reality (AR) MMORPG. Although the game lets people play while conscious, it soon creates new dangers for Kirito and fellow players. Hopefully Aniplex put some safeguards in place so the same problem doesn't arise in the real world. The company recently released an official iOS and Android AR ...
Ghost in the Shell's Tachikoma Robots Under Development for Use in Customer Service
Half-size models on display in Shibuya I.G. Store
― Two years ago, the Ghost in the Shell Realize Project launched with the aim of recreating aspects of the futuristic, technologically advanced world of Ghost in the Shell. Its focus this year has been on developing half-size Tachikoma, the four-legged, spider-like blue robots from the manga/anime series. A demonstration of what the project has develo...
Hayao Miyazaki Calls AI CG Animation Presentation 'An Insult to Life Itself'
On November 13, Hayao Miyazaki starred in a special about his upcoming CG animation film Kemushi no Boro on NHK titled Owaranai Hito - Miyazaki Hayao (The Man Who Is Not Done: Hayao Miyazaki). The 50-minute documentary included a scene where Miyazaki and former Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki attend a presentation by a CGI team at Dwango Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. The presentation is led by...
Shueisha Offers 'Jump VR' Mook About VR Tech
Mook also contains instructional manga, columns, 22-year-old Kochikame chapter featuring VR
― Shueisha will offer a new mook (magazine-style book) on December 16 titled "Jump VR." The mook will focus on VR technology and head-mounted displays such as the PlayStation VR, HTC Viva, and Oculus Rift/Touch, and will feature over 40 titles that use the technology. It will also feature instructional manga a...
Drone Version of Last Exile's Vanships Under Development
Full-size version to be on display at Tokyo Comic Con
― If watching Last Exile made you dream of zipping through the skies in a vanship, your dream is getting a little closer to reality. EnRoute, an unmanned vehicle manufacturer, is developing drones based on Tatiana's vanship. Preorders for the drone will begin on December 1 at Gonzo's official store, Gonzo Style; hopefully you have 198,000 yen ($1,...
Transforming Robot Prototype On Display in Orlando Next Week
Developers form LLP
― The J-deite RIDE, a car capable of transforming into a humanoid robot with a passenger inside, is nearing completion. The team responsible for building it plans to exhibit a 1.5-meter (about 5 feet) tall prototype at the IAAPA Attractions Expo 2016 in Orlando, Florida on November 14. It is slated for completion in the middle of 2017, when it will go into mass production and be m...
Pepper Robots' Turn as Love Live Idols Isn't Up to Snuff
The Pepper robot has proven its an adequate stand-in for its human counterpart in a number of career avenues, including manning a cell phone store, backing up Asian Kung-Fu Generation, brewing coffee, and officiating weddings. Pepper's versatile programming is impressive, but it looks like its not up to par with complicated choreography Japanese idols have to learn to entertain fans. Nine Pepper r...
Museum of Modern Art Acquires Original 176 Emoji
New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) announced on Wednesday that it has acquired the original set of 176 emoji for its permanent collection. The emoji will appear in MoMA's lobby beginning in December. Shigetake Kurita, creator of the original pictographs, confirmed the announcement on his Twitter page. Kurita created the emoji set for Japan's mobile carrier NTT DoCoMo, and they made their debu...
MegaBots Giant Robot Battle to Be Televised Next Year
Last year, the U.S.-based MegaBots company launched a successful Kickstarter campaign to fund its duel with Suidobashi Heavy Industry's million-dollar Kuratas robot. Since the campaign completed, MegaBots has started its documentary series with two episodes thus far chronicling how to both destroy and create a giant robot. But what about the duel everyone is looking forward to watching? The Wall S...
Saekano's Megumi Manages Your Life as Smartphone App
Starting this fall, you'll be able to have Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend's Megumi Katō as a personal assistant on your phone. Megumi will feature in the "voice interactive agent" app Main Heroine Katō Megumi for Android devices. Megumi: Yeah, yeah. It's OK. Go ahead and do as you like. Sony Communications unveiled the app on Thursday. Sony developed the app from the concept of an alarm...
Amazon Offers "Manga Model" of Kindle E-Book Reader, But Only in Japan
Amazon has released an e-book reader in Japan especially designed for manga fans. The "Manga Model" of the Kindle Paperwhite is an upgrade from the previous release, offering more storage space at 32GB and additional features. One feature is a "rapid page turn" that allows readers to flip through their digital manga 33 percent faster and a two-page display function so art can be displayed side-by-...
3D CG High School Girl Saya Gets Video Movement Footage
Freelance 3D CG artist pair TELYUKA uploaded to their Twitter a facial expression test video of their realistic 3D CG high school girl Saya. Saya began last October as part of a "virtual human project". The creators are entirely self-taught, having no formal training in computer graphics. Originally, the creators released only still images of her to the public, but at recent exhibit "CEATEC JAPAN ...
LETRONS: Turkish Transforming Robots in Disguise
We've seen Angry Birds transform into Autobots and Decepticons. We've seen people transform into Optimus Prima and Grimlock. We've even seen several individuals and companies attempt transforming mini cars. Now, for possibly the first time, we get to witness a full-size car transform into an anthropomorphic robot and move around. What an age to be alive. Check out, Turkish "startup and R&D company...
NTT Develops 1st VR Training System for Pro Baseball Players
NTT considering MLB promotion through U.S. subsidiary, Golden Eagles will use system beginning 2017
― NTT Data and the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles baseball team announced on Monday that it has developed a virtual reality training system for baseball players. The system allows both pitchers and batters to mimic practical real-life situations in a simulated environment. NTT is considering promoting th...
CG Girl Saya's Realism Will Have You Doing A Double Take
While android creators are still trying to overcome the Uncanny Valley, computer graphics are progressing leaps and bounds. Take Saya2016, a 3DCG school girl that looks so lifelike at first glance, you might not believe she only exists on the internet. The CG artist duo Telyuka created Saya. Even more impressive is the fact that the creators are entirely self-taught, having no formal training in c...
Roboticists Develop Moving Hatsune Miku Doll
To be displayed at Hatsune Miku event
― Speecys (the designers of Sony's Vaio computers and Aibo robotic dogs) and toy maker Volks have teamed up to develop a moving Hatsune Miku doll. Part of Volks's Dollfie Honey line of dolls based on 2-D characters, Miku is 60 cm (about 2 feet) tall and has 28 joints (three at her waist, eight in her legs, 14 in her arms and three in her head). She also has soft...
Marina Inoue Will Scold Internet Users via AI Chat Program
Voice actress Marina Inoue (Attack on Titan's Armin, Owarimonogatari's Sodachi, My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU TOO!'s Yumiko) will scold internet users as the voice of a new AI chat program character. Sony Music Entertainment and the Institute of Language Understanding co-developed a new AI called "Project Samantha." The AI uses personality data to provide a variety of services. Currently in beta, ...
Line Corporation Public Offering is Highest-Valued Tech IPO This Year
Public offering raised more than US$1 billion, company valued at US$8.6 billion
― Line Corporation, which owns and operates the Line social networking and instant messaging app, went public on Thursday, with share prices starting at US$42 on the New York Stock Exchange, up 33% from its initial public offering (IPO) of US$32.84. The public offering raised more than US$1 billion for the company. Line C...
Japan's Last VHS Video Tape Recorder Maker Ends Production This Month
Funai sold 750,000 VHS units last year
― Japanese financial newspaper Nikkei reported on Thursday that Funai Electric Company, Japan's last manufacturer of VHS video cassette tape recorders, will end production on the recorders this month. According to Nikkei, the company is halting production due to a declining market, and difficulty in obtaining the supply of parts. Funai had manufactured the units...
Rogue Robots: Japanese Government Analyzes Risks of AI
Could Artificial Intelligence be dangerous? Could robots demand the right to vote, become criminals, or revolt against us? On June 20, the Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs' Telecommunications Policy Research Institute released a report addressing the possible effects that network systems using Artificial Intelligence (AI) could have on society and the economy. According to this report, the ri...
Virtual Reality Ear-Cleaning App Gets English Release
The world of virtual reality has opened new doors to simulated intimacy, from dating, kissing, to full-on pornography. One act of intimacy that is particularly unique to Japan is mimi-kaki (ear-cleaning) which can be a bonding exercise between two people, not unlike a massage. Eisys Inc. has released its own virtual reality simulator of ear-cleaning and it's now available in English for iOS and An...
Novelist Sōseki Natsume Will Return From the Grave As Teaching Android
Perhaps the strangest turn in Japan's focus in android is reanimation of the deceased. 100 years after his death, acclaimed novelist Sōseki Natsume will rise again an instructor at Nishogakusha University. The University is marking its 140th anniversary by hiring a robotic Natsume to teach classes at is alma mater. Award-winning robotics researcher and Osaka University professor Hiroshi Ishiguro, ...
Microsoft Announces 'Project Scorpio' Console
Games will be playable on Xbox One
― Microsoft officially announced at it media briefing at E3 on Monday that it is developing a new console currently titled "Project Scorpio." The console will offer 4K resolution and high fidelity VR, as well as six teraflops of power. Microsoft also unveiled its upgraded Xbox One S console at the event. All games playable on Xbox One, Xbox One S, and Project Scorpi...
Xbox One S Console Unveiled
New model is smaller, offers 4K Ultra HD
― Microsoft announced a new Xbox One S console at its media briefing at E3 on Monday. The console will be 40% smaller and offer 4K Ultra HD support. The console is slated for release in August, and will also include a new controller model. Update: Trailer added.
Odaiba's Aqua City is Latest to Employ Robot Customer Service Rep
Tokyo's Odaiba's Aqua City shopping complex has a very special face at their third floor information service desk. Junco Chihira is a trilingual, interactive android developed by Toshiba Corporations. Already she is responding to guests' questions regarding the complex's services and tourist information, asked via new screen panel display technology beside her that responds to touch in mid-air, an...
Could We Actually Land Gundam's Mobile Workers on the Moon?
Space scientist discusses possibility of developing prototype Gundam mobile suits
― Gundam: The Origin Technology Labo is a team of grown-up Mobile Suit Gundam enthusiasts who are exploring the likelihood of actually developing the technology seen in Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin. This week it published its interview with Tatsuaki Hashimoto, a control engineer at JAXA (the Japan Aerospace Exploratio...
Real-Life 'Yu-Gi-Oh for HoloLens' Project Reaches Pre-Alpha Stage
Yugioh For HoloLens, a project created by software developer General Heed (also known as Generalkidd on YouTube) has entered the pre-alpha stage and both footage and screenshots have been posted on the developer's blog. The project uses the tool Microsoft HoloLens, Microsoft's virtual reality headset, to project holograms ofYu-Gi-Oh cards and monsters. The goal is to create a full 3-D card game ex...
New Inking Technology from Waseda University Makes Line Art Easy
Fully automated inking directly from pencil sketches
― Inking rough sketches is one of the necessary steps in converting a simple drawing into a polished showpiece work. Although there is commercial software to ink line art automatically, a research team from Tokyo's Waseda University led by Edgar Simo-Serra and Satoshi Iizuka has developed new technology that arguably produces a cleaner, more polish...
Nintendo 'NX' Game System Slated for March 2017
Nintendo announced on Wednesday that it is scheduling its next-generation platform, codenamed "NX" while in development, for release in March 2017. Nintendo announced in March 2015 that it "is developing a game hardware platform with an entirely new concept under the developmental codename NX" with mobile services company DeNA. Nintendo's late former president and CEO Satoru Iwata then revealed in...
Dai-Shogun Creator Shares 360° Promo Video for Kickstarter
Project aims to create 1 minute of VR anime
― Anime creator Kazuya Sasahara (Cat Shit One: The Animated Series) began streaming a promotional video for his Kickstarter campaign to create a virtual reality 3DCG-animated reboot of Dai - Shogun - Great Revolution. The video is in 360-degree panorama, which can be explored with the arrows in the top left corner. The project aims to create a one-minute 36...
IBM's Sword Art Online Virtual Reality MMO Project Posts More In-Game Footage
Brief view of what testers saw inside the "Nervegear Prototype" in last month's test
― IBM Japan posted more in-game footage from its "Sword Art Online: The Beginning" virtual reality demonstration on Friday. Those who participated in the demonstration were able to scan their bodies, which were then rendered as 3D avatars for the demonstration. Users were then able to manipulate their in-game avatar ...
Pepper Opens Cell Phone Store Staffed Entirely by Robots
Pepper, the humanoid robot designed to be "a genuine day-to-day companion," can also be adapted for business use. Softbank, the Japanese telecommunications company that co-developed it, is proving this point with a Softbank store along Tokyo's Omotesandō road staffed entirely by robots. When customers enter the store, they are greeted by four Peppers. They are equipped with monitors on their torso...
Nikkei: Nintendo to End Wii U Production in 2016
System launched in 2012; NX system slated for this year
― The Japanese financial newspaper Nikkei reported on Tuesday that Nintendo will cease production of its Wii U console this year. Nintendo launched the Wii U system in 2012 and has since reported weak sales for the Wii U compared to its predecessors. As of December, the Wii U had sold 12.6 million units worldwide, compared to the Wii's 101.6 mil...
IBM's Sword Art Online Virtual Reality MMO Project Streams In-Game Combat Footage
26 seconds from demo running this weekend for 208 players out of 99,800 applicants
― IBM's developerWorks program posted 26 seconds of combat footage from its "Sword Art Online: The Beginning" virtual reality demonstration on Friday. Those who participate in the demonstration are able to scan their bodies, which are then be rendered as 3D avatars for the demonstration. Users are then able to manipula...
Pokemon Photo Booth App Adds Trainer Style to Pics
20th anniversary celebration events planned for Saturday
― The Pokémon Company International introduced its Pokémon Photo Booth app to iTunes on Wednesday. The free app adds classic Pokemon style to photos, like battle dialogue text, frames, and filters. The app is available in English, French, Spanish, German, and Italian. The Pokémon Company International is introducing the app as part of its 20th ...
Mitsubishi Unveils Device for Projecting Mid-Air Displays
Science-fiction fans who long for the days of seeing actual holograms advertising soda or making public service announcements are now one step closer to seeing that future realized. Mitsubishi Electric has developed a device that projects an image in mid-air which people can pass through. The projection's beam is split into reflected light and transmitted light by a "beam splitter", which is place...
Ghost in the Shell Realize Project Sets Sights on Half-Size Tachikoma
The Ghost in the Shell Realize Project launched in 2014 with the goal to bring the sci-fi tech from Masamune Shirow's franchise into the real world. Since its launch, the project has introduced a 3D model of Motoko Kusanagi, superhuman sports, optical camouflage, virtual reality, and humanoid robots. One group is pushing the robot angle by working on a functioning, half-size Tachikoma. Developers ...
Love Plus Artist Designs Gatebox's 1st Holographic Robot Character
Robots and artificial intelligence tech have made continuous advancements to improve the lives of humans, whether it's through lightening the workload or providing companionship. Vinchu is working on the development of its Gatebox "Holographic Communication Robot," which would complete voice-command tasks like a universal remote control and greet tired workers when they come home. The robot charac...
Ghost in the Shell Realize Project to Hold Awards Ceremony
Symposium, project exhibition also planned
― The Ghost in the Shell Realize Project was launched in November 2014 to explore and further develop emerging technologies like optic camouflage, substitutional reality and human-like robots with the goal of pushing the world closer to the one we see in the Ghost in the Shell series. A "hackathon" was held in October and November to bring together Japan's b...
Asuna Wake-Up App Now Available Internationally
English-speaking fans of Sword Art Online will now be able to start off their day with the voice of Haruka Tomatsu, who plays Asuna. Sony Music Communications Inc. is releasing the smartphone app Wake Me Up Asuna, which consists of a selection of voice samples from the swordswoman. The English version of the app includes translated menus, subtitles, and English-voice compatibility so the app now ...
Date Masamune Cocorobo Will Take Down Armies of Dust Bunnies
Move over imōto, fighting dirt is a job for experienced warlords. Sharp's series of COCOROBO premium robot vacuum is enlisting the help of Sengoku Basara's Date Masamune. The character (voiced by Kazuya Nakai) is shown on the top of the circle robot as it takes down armies of paper soldiers. The COCOROBO Date Masamune version was revealed at Jump Festa. Pre-orders opened on Saturday and will be a...
Facial Recognition Software Turns You Into a High School Anime Girl
Holotech Studios' FaceRig avatar software can transform you, your friends, your dad, and your coworkers into anime high school girls. The program uses Skype and works similarly to the software that made SnapChat's filters popular, but more intricately. FaceRig maps the user's face and follows it, so the anime counterpart moves as the user moves and emotes the same expressions. The beta first debut...
NASA Looks to PlayStation VR to Train Space Robot Operators
Advances in robotics has opened doors to create AI musicians, teacher assistants, and hotel staff. The opportunities are endless. NASA is looking to send more advanced, humanoid robots into the final frontier and have them controlled remotely by operators back on Earth. The process, though, is easier said than done. NASA has turned to PlayStation's VR headset and a demo program called "Mighty Morp...
Wake Up to the Voice of Kinmoza's Karen with New App
Fans of Kinmoza! Kiniro + Mosaic will now be able to start off their day with the voice of Nao Tōyama, who plays Karen. Hakuhodo DY Music & Pictures and Gamegate are collaborating on the smartphone app Kinmoza Alarm ~Karen Edition~, which consists of a selection of voice samples from the part-English schoolgirl. Users can choose up to three as alarm calls. Additional voice clips can be heard by to...
For all articles, see the archives