Remote Controlled BJD

[mica]

This guy is actually making a robot BJD.
Controlled by an Android phone
omg I want !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=2m_yjmqYlaY

[zirconmermaid]

Motion test!!! I want her!! So cute!!!

[K2!]

viewtopic.php?f=41&t=8659

[mica]

oops...

[K2!]

Yes, yes. We all will want one (or more), but there are some things to consider.

Back in 1999, Sony introduced a robotic dog named Aibo to the consumer electronics market. Aibo could do a number of remarkable things. Using his ccd camera “eyes” and infra-red range finding sensor, Aibo could move around on his own and avoid obstacles. Using his acceleration and angular velocity sensors Aibo could stand up if he fell over. Aibo could recognize colors, sounds, and certain objects. Aibo had a number of programmed behaviors and could develop a personality based on positive and negative reinforcement (patting or scolding) from his owner. Aibo was sold in a very limited quantity (5000 units worldwide) at the unbelievable price of $2500 and sold out online in minutes. During Aibo’s 7 years of production, newer generations of Aibo added many new features and technologies. Later models added voice recognition with a vocabulary of dozens of commands (Japanese or English), including learning his own name and coming when called by his owner. Aibo had face recognition and would “perk up” when he saw his owner. When his batteries got low he would find his charging station and plug himself in for a nap. He also could be accessed or remotely controlled through a WiFi connection. Aibo was discontinued in 2006 not because he was unpopular or did not sell, but because he wasn’t turning a profit. The $2500 retail price, which remained about the same during his 7 years of production, did not make any money. Aibo was always sold at a loss. There was a lot of prestige involved with developing and producing Aibo, but the little pup wasn’t a goldmine.

What does this have to do with Smart Doll? Think about the features, availability, and price. At present Smart Doll looks to be an automated humanoid figure with (most likely) a number of preprogrammed “moves”. Her movements will be able to be remotely controlled via a Bluetooth connection. While she will have more degrees of freedom (points of articulation), 24 versus Aibo’s 18, she will not be able to move around, let alone stand and balance herself. She will not have any of the interactive features Aibo possessed. She will not “see” or “hear” anything or be able to autonomously react with her environment. With limited interactivity and lack of sensing abilities, there’s not a lot of smart in the Smart Doll. The lack of features should help to keep the cost down, but I suspect she will still be out of the price range of most doll collectors. Unless a big manufacturer steps in, Smart Doll will probably be produced in small batches and hand assembled, which will add to the unit cost. She will be made in relatively small numbers and not be readily available. If an electronics giant couldn’t make money at $2500 per unit, how much will a small independent producer have to charge to break even?
For you bjd resin folk, Smart Doll is vinyl, plastic, and metal and only has the “Dollfie Dream” anime look. Due to the weight and tolerances of the internal components there will be little to no customization besides exterior paint (and possibly hair) that can be done. Smart Doll won’t meet any of DoA’s criteria for ball joint dolls, therefore will be completely off topic on that forum. But not here on Dollieh Sanctuary.

Does any of this mean I don’t want a Smart Doll? Hell yes, I want one! She can ride around on my Aibo.

[Pandor]

K2, you always write the best rant-essays. 11/10, would read again!

[yarwel]

While she will have more degrees of freedom (points of articulation), 24 versus Aibo’s 18, she will not be able to move around, let alone stand and balance herself. She will not have any of the interactive features Aibo possessed. She will not “see” or “hear” anything or be able to autonomously react with her environment.

Eh? I thought in the interview the designer said that she would stand and idly swing her hips but not walk, and that she would have some sort of sensor so she could greet her owner when he/she enters the room.

[K2!]

Eh? I thought in the interview the designer said that she would stand and idly swing her hips but not walk, and that she would have some sort of sensor so she could greet her owner when he/she enters the room.

Are those things he would like to have or things they are going to have?
A lot has been written/pictured about movement of arms, head, etc. but little if anything has been demonstrated concerning balance, environmental sensors, or feedback of any kind. In order for the doll to accomplish the simple sounding task of swinging her hips idly there will need to be sensor(s) to detect the amount of motion, monitor the doll's center of gravity and keep the doll properly balanced by synchronizing the motors involved. To greet her owner the doll would first have to detect the movement of someone entering the room. Motors would have to be commanded to train visual sensors on the source of the movement. The visual sensors, a ccd camera, will have to capture an image of the source of the movement. The cpu will then determine what the source of the movement was and if it had a face. A facial recognition routine would then have to determine if the facial features matched those of a stored image of the "owner". Then the appropriate greeting routine (movement, recorded sound, etc.) could be triggered. The simple version would be an ultrasonic sensor would detect any movement within a certain range and a "greeting" would be played back. But it would be the same reaction if the owner, someone else, or if the owner's dog came into the room. The idly swing her hips could be accomplished by locking the doll in a base for stability.
I am very curious as to what the actual battery life will be. Batteries are still relatively big and heavy and motors consume a lot more power than simple electronic circuits. A base with power connections would be a practical way of getting the doll to stand and provide an unlimited power supply.

[yarwel]

Okay so I looked through what I read before (link in the first thread), and this is what I found,

I plan to put a speaker in the frame and it will most likely be placed in the oppai which seem big enough ^^;

Speech will be required to work with sensors which detect movement so that the Smart Doll can say things like "welcome back home!" [おかえり！]. Eyes and mouth will *not* move! Only cute head motions.

If I do licensed anime characters, I can ask the original voice actress to provide recordings too. For now however I'm focusing 100% on Mirai which will be voiced by UTACO who sings Sukirai.

Ah, nearly forgot to mention the DLC (Downloadable Content) which will comprise of speech phrases and motions.
....

Mirai is not designed to walk but she will be able to balance and shift her hips left n right, back n forth.

It looks like I may have been mistaken about the greeting being triggered by sensors; it might just be that she can say remote controlled phrases. It definitely sounds as though she will be able to stand though.

[K2!]

If they can get her to stand independently that would be great. The amount of weight she will be carrying will easily put her into "resin" weight category (or more) and the bulk of that weight will be above her legs (high center of gravity). If she moves her hip there will have to be a lot of inertial feedback to keep those motions from throwing her out of balance, unless she has a base of some sort. An electrified base would be very useful as a secure stand for when she is idle. It can also be used for charging her batteries. I would worry about her standing on her own especially when idling. Most robots that "stand" or walk have a relatively large footprint and considerable weight in the lower 1/3 of their bodies. If Mirai wants to remain fashionably slim she won't have that luxury. How many people stand their resin dolls up unattended without support for long periods of time? Even with Aibo, though his leg servos were stiff enough that he would stand up when turned off, you could count on him staying that way. The unpowered servos would frequently collapse.