tech

ANA opens world's 1st shop with avatar robot in Tokyo

15 Comments

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15 Comments
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Just weird.

Shoplifting problems solved, at least.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

The thing on the right looks so low tech that I assumed the avatar must be the one on the left.

The future used to be better than this!

4 ( +7 / -3 )

lol at some points... we gotta stop with. No one ever asked for it nor need it.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Gotta say that Japanese A.I.just seems to be a gimmick not practical.Ever since the iPhone destroyed Japan's digicam,MiniDisc,SatNav market the locals have been trying to play catch up,which will never of course because they copy everything.

1 ( +7 / -6 )

Gimmicky and just flat out inefficient and stupid. If the product is for sale, then why not put it on a website? Why not create a customer friendly shopping interface that allows a customer-centric experience?

Nope... let's just drop money on useless "AI" that isn't even AI but just a remote controlled tablet on wheels. What's the point? What's the purpose other than a slap-dash whapped together piece of junk for some cheap positive local-only press?

1 ( +5 / -4 )

Shoplifting problems solved ? Is the iPad-like thing on a stick going to chase a Shoplifter down the street - that'd be hilarious to watch.

Anyway, who shops in an ANA store anyway ?

0 ( +4 / -4 )

What is an ANA store? What do they sell? For some reason, many large Japanese companies have these weird, non core businesses, that 99% of the time lose money.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

This is nothing more than a webcam on a stick. You can slather it with trendy marketing speak (avatar! robot! AI!) but it's just a webcam.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

They're taking shopping a step further allowing people from all over the country to actually visit the store as a digital 'avatar'. They can see the products in video form and ask questions etc, just like they would if they were in person in the store. What is so inefficient and stupid about that?

None of which require a tablet robot on an RC car chassis. Rotating imagery is common on many websites. As is live chat with customer service reps. If someone wants to set it up via voice rather than text, that can be done easily as well (although more expensively).

So again, a RC car with a tablet on top is supposed to motor around the store, which is inefficient in terms of cost, inefficient in terms of scanning and shopping, and an inefficient use of customer service rep time.

This isn't 'taking shopping a step further' as you're not actually visiting the store. You merely regurgitated the same talking points the article did. You're not visiting as a 'digital avatar,' you're a video image displayed from a tablet on a stick attached to an RC car. This is neither high-tech, efficient, or practical.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Geez no one has a sense of humor these days.

OK so we wont see the Stickbot run/wheel after shop lifters, no, I guess not... but instead perhaps the plan is for it to summon its bad ass cousin the ED-209 which will drop out from the ceiling above the doorway in an instant, and completely wipe out all store visitors,... ?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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