Skip to main content

A holographic virtual girlfriend lives inside Japan’s answer to the Amazon Echo

Alexa, the voice inside your Amazon Echo or Dot, is very helpful and always accommodating. So are Siri, Cortana, and the various other artificially intelligent assistants available today. But none can seemingly compare with the experience provided by Azuma Hikari, the holographic character who lives inside the Gatebox, Japan’s sort-of-but-not-really answer to the Amazon Echo.

Instead of a simple, cylindrical speaker design, Gatebox has a screen and a projector, which brings Hikari — her name, appropriately, means “light” — to life inside the gadget. On the outside are microphones, cameras, and sensors to detect temperature and motion, so she can interact with you on a more personal level, rather than being a voice on your phone.

The result is a fully interactive virtual girl, who at her most basic can control your smart home equipment. The sensors mean she can recognize your face and your voice, and is designed to be a companion who can wake you up in the morning, fill you in on your day’s activities, remind you of things to remember, and even welcome you back when you return home from work. There’s Bluetooth and a permanent connection to the internet, and the Gatebox can be linked up to a TV using an HDMI connection.

Conversing in Japanese only, Hikari understands many things, but she is still learning and her language skills are growing. In time, she will be able to hold verbal conversations, but in the meantime you can communicate with her via messages in the controlling app throughout the day. The app is compatible with both Android and iOS.

More characters

Designed by Taro Minoboshi, who is known for working on Konami’s Love Plus dating sim game series, the Azuma Hikari character is 20 years-old, according to her own website, and enjoys watching anime and eating donuts, but isn’t a fan of insects. Her dream is to become a heroine for anyone working hard. Keeping people company, in any fashion at all, is where Hikari will be best put to work. A recent report showed at 32 percent, single-person households are the largest housing segment in Japan, so artificially intelligent characters like this can make sense.

There is only one character available with the Gatebox at the moment, but others are certain to come in the future. For example, Vinclu, the technology company behind the Gatebox, demonstrated a version with Vocaloid virtual singer Hatsune Miku as the main character recently. Elsewhere, popular anime characters have been brought to life as virtual assistants already, such as Yuuki Asuna from Sword Art Online, in the Sony Music-produced Wake Me Up Asuna app. Similar partnerships with Vinclu and the Gatebox, whether it’s with Hatsune Miku or otherwise, seem almost inevitable if the product is a success.

The Gatebox can be pre-ordered at the moment, and will work in the U.S., but the first production run is limited to 300 units that cost around $2,600 each. We don’t expect supplies to last long though, even at this price. Before you rush off to get one, remember Hikari can only speak Japanese at the moment.

Editors' Recommendations

Andy Boxall
Senior Mobile Writer
Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…
Amazon brings Matter support to 17 Echo devices
Echo Show 15 with base.

Amazon has officially rolled out Matter support to a wide variety of devices, including 17 Echo products, as well as smart plugs, light bulbs, and switches. The company says that this is only “phase one” of the rollout, with Matter heading to even more smart home gadgets in 2023.

According to Amazon, this phased rollout will allow the team to bring Matter support to the most popular devices on the market while ensuring the platform remains stable. The list of products included in phase one is quite extensive and encapsulates some of the most popular products on the market. Echo devices were the primary target of the rollout. Here’s a look at every Echo device that now supports Matter:

Read more
The best Amazon Echo tips and tricks
Echo 4th Gen on table.

Amazon Echo devices are some of the most popular smart home hubs on the market. These feature-rich, Alexa-powered smart speakers can do it all -- from playing music and dimming your lights to controlling your home security system and checking your calendar, Alexa makes it easy to automate your daily tasks.

While most Echo users know the basics, there are a lot of incredible features that are hidden below the surface. That’s why we’ve put together this guide. Read on to uncover some impressive features across the Echo lineup and make full use of its versatility.
Change Alexa's name or create a nickname for her to call you
Once you've got your Alexa device up and running on your Wi-Fi network, there are still a few more things you might want to do before diving in, so be sure to head over to echo.amazon.com or download the accompanying smartphone app.

Read more
Nest Mini (2nd-gen) vs. Amazon Echo Dot (5th-gen)
The Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) with Clock.

Smart speakers come in many sizes, and pitting the Amazon Echo Dot (now on the fifth generation) vs. the Nest Mini (currently on the second version) compares some of the smallest available. These tiny speakers are still loud enough to play music or perform other audio functions for people nearby, and they can make great desktop companions or even smart alarm clocks in some cases.

Which is the best? Despite their diminutive sizes, these little speakers have a lot of differences, starting with their design. Let’s take a look.
Design

Read more