The purpose of technology should be to improve the quality of life of those of us who live on the planet, especially at this time when the pandemic has largely changed the way we live together, which has left some sectors, such as the elderly, further away than ever from their loved ones, and if we take into account that in many countries the abandonment figures were already high, this becomes a serious problem.
To help grandparents be less alone, the Japanese company Takara Tomy created a high-tech doll that gives them company, just as a grandchild could do, although in this case, through an electronic machine with artificial intelligence. The doll has the name of Ami-chan, and it is causing so much expectation around the world that she has already been christened "the electronic granddaughter".
With huge eyes and a pretty face, Ami-chan has a body that can be hugged by grandparents, sit up, hold her, lay her down, and even blink or close her eyes to pretend she's asleep. It comes with a vocabulary of more than 1600 words, and the artificial intelligence system allows you to learn more to build your own "personality."
In addition, it has a facial recognition system so that its "grandparents" can activate it, and it saves their names in the database, which is a nice touch. As if that were not enough, it can carry a fluid conversation and, according to those who have already used it, its voice interface does not seem that of a robot, but that of a little girl, and that improves the experience.
Ami-chan remembers birthday dates and can sing up to 40 rhymes and 35 tongue twisters, which grandparents use to stimulate some areas of the brain that, due to age, can diminish their memory. It measures 30 cm to facilitate its handling and that the grandparents can carry it everywhere without difficulty. In addition, it uses batteries, but warns when they are running low so they can charge it again and continue to enjoy your company.
For now, it will only be for sale in Japan, where there are about 36 million older adults and, according to data from the government of that country, six million of them live alone. It is estimated that orders made from August 27 will arrive before September 20, the date on which the Day of Respect for the Elderly is celebrated in the country, which will undoubtedly be a great gift.
