Jan 25 2016
Alpha Smart Technologies’ S Plan is a $304 million initiative, which aims to create a variety of smart devices including smart robots and smart watches. The company partnered with top robot developers and manufacturers, Turing Robot and Blue Frog Robotics, to construct the first "Smart Home Ecosystem” in China.
Franck de Visme, COO of Blue Frog Robotics, shows off BUDDY, the world's first robotic steward, at the "A More Human Technology" press conference, January 20, 2016 (PRNewsFoto/Alpha Smart Technologies)
Alpha hope to broaden their core competitive edge in developing content, and building smart devices for children, giving Alpha full-fledged entry into the smart home business in the next few years.
We do not want to build impersonal hardware and platforms. We want them to be a melting pot of family emotions that is welcomed by children and trusted by the parents. The partnership we struck with Turing and Blue Frog will allow us to take full advantage of smart technologies in order to build a network of friends and a whole ecosystem around children.
Lin Bin, Chief Strategy Officer, Alpha Smart Technologies
The partnership created two robots, Jett Companion Robot and JIAJIA Social Robot, which are designed especially children and their parents. The Jett Companion Robot is for preschoolers and is based on Super Wings, a popular animated series. This robot was developed by Turing Robot and is powered by the Turing operating system. The smart robot has the ability to see, hear, analyze, and decide as it is fitted with semantic analysis, visual identification, voice recognition, emotion recognition, and self-learning capabilities.
Although the technical functions of the robot are pivotal, equally important is Jett's familiarity. The flying robot in Alpha's animation series Super Wings, was telecast in 28 countries and regions and gained top viewership ratings among similar animations in China, the U.S., and South Korea.
The popularity of Jett's character will allow our products to connect emotionally with consumers. Being a content creator we understand the latest needs amongst children. The more popular a product is, the easier it will be to build rich interactions and multi-dimensional emotional links around it, making it more memorable.
Liao Bin, Chief Product Officer, Alpha Smart Technologies
JIAJIA smart devices include robots and smart watches. All of the JIAJIA products assist children in their interactions with people they love via a mobile app on the parents smartphones, which acts as a nexus where JIAJIA devices can be connected together.
Our future Smart Home Ecosystem will be built around smart robots and devices, covering education, animations, maternal-infant online stores, social networking, gaming, and other cornerstone industries, thereby transforming every home into an amusement park.
Chen Jingqing, CEO, Alpha Smart Technologies
"The future looks very bright," said Yu Zhichen, CEO, Turing Robot. "Robots designed for children are not limited to being toys and storytellers, but they are in fact a large computing platform. In that capacity, they are poised to become a super gateway for a family's entertainment, education, and living needs, not to mention applications such as Internet of Things."
In a press conference 20th January 2016, Alpha revealed a strategic partnership with Blue Frog Robotics, the French company that built BUDDY, which is considered the first robotic steward in the world. Using Blue Frog Robotics experience in developing, operating, and marketing virtual avatars and IPs, Alpha plans to create a one-stop localization service. The service will cover the advertising, marketing, sales, and operations of BUDDY in Greater China. In return, BUDDY will be used to promote Alpha’s animation shows and educational programs to global audiences and upgrade their home entertainment experience with the "IP + Smart" model.