newme is an tele-presence avatar robot by japan’s largest airline

ANA, japan’s largest airline, has been working on a new avatar robot dubbed newme that is able to realize all kinds of experiences in remote areas. as its name implies, this robot becomes you just by entering the avatar, allowing users to perform various communications as an infinitely real-time experience.

‘the goal of ANA’s avatar initiative is to eliminate the barriers of physical distance to make remote communication more valuable and to allow everyone to share experiences more democratically,’ comments kevin kajitani, co-director of ANA HD’s avatar division.

each newme avatar robot has the capability to transmit full-HD, 2K video that will allow users to see and interact with the robot’s surroundings in high resolution. furthermore, newme has customizable body accessories that can be adjusted to fit a variety of deployment needs. the newme can be controlled from a remote location and ANA HD aims to deploy 1,000 of these robots soon.

by providing a new means of connecting people, avatars have the potential to expand opportunities for a wide range of people, making it possible for the elderly and those with disabilities to fully participate in society and even find employment. ANA HD envisions the newme avatar being used by the public in scenarios such as shopping and enjoying sports matches from remote locations.

the newme robot is customizable, allowing users to choose different colors for each body part and from three different heights. also, to give a realistic experience, the head can go up and down 60º so users can look up and down, as well as around. Considering the ease of installation and portability, the body is lightweight and foldable.

the newme robot has already made some headlines when a university in japan used it for virtual graduations.

project info

name: newme

company: ANA