The Soft-Matter Robot “Gel HACHI”
The Soft-Matter Robot “Gel HACHI”
SOFUMO has produced a prototype robot “Gel HACHI”, the symbol statue at Shibuya station, using Soft-Matter Robotics (SMR) technology in September 2019 as the concept of the project “a new tool of communication”.
Gel HACHI is a copy of “Tsuruoka HACHI” in Tsuruoka city, Yamagata Prefecture which was a prototype of original HACHI statue in Shibuya.
Soft materials were used on the head and paws of the statue to create smooth and comfortable texture that will encourage people to touch.
Gel HACHI has AI (artificial intelligence) system that can analyze the environmental information collected through camera, sensors, and microphones embedded in the statue. Based on the information, the ways of barking, colors, and vibration will be modified.
Gel HACHI received positive feedback from visitors at the exhibitions where it had been displayed such as Super Welfare Expo at Shibuya Hikarie, International Robot Exhibition 2019, and TCT Japan 2020 at Tokyo Big Sight.
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