TBWA\Hakuhodo Japan, Yukai Engineering, Crimson Technology and Kotobukisun introduce the first voice changing AI Megaphone
TBWA\Hakuhodo, Yukai Engineering, Crimson Technology and Kotobukisun have partnered to form the Animegaphone Creators Committee, which will be launching a revolutionary new megaphone that can convert the user’s voice into someone else’s voice instantaneously.
The Animegaphone is equipped with voice changing AI technology that analyzes vocal data input, then synthesizes and merges it into a pre-registered voice of another person, with almost no lag or delay – all while reflecting the user’s speech pattern, accent, intonations and other individual vocal characteristics. The Animegaphone is the first time this technology has been built into independent portable units.
While normal voice changing technologies merely modify the soundwaves of the user’s voice, the Animegaphone is revolutionary because it analyzes and synergizes the voice with a pre-registered one, thus allowing the user to transform their voice to that of a specific person – a famous singer, their boss, or anyone incorporated into the system.
The inspiration behind Animegaphone was the problem of controlling large crowds of people in a country with some of the world’s most avid and passionate fans. Megaphones are regularly used in Japan, but have become so common that now announcements and instructions are often ignored.
This new innovation allows us to capture the attention of excited fans at events and concerts by changing the voices of security personnel into the famous person the crowds are there to see. It is a megaphone that is built to really capture attention and create wonder. Numerous devices can be used together to create an integrated crowd-control system. With tests currently still being carried out, the price of the units will be announced at a later date.
The first preview of the Animegaphone will be held at Wonder Festival Winter 2018, the world’s largest figurine festival, on Sunday 18th February. The event amasses nearly 50,000 visitors each year, and provides a platform for both professional and amateur artisans to display and promote their detailed figure models. It also showcases future releases by major toy companies.