Mirai SmartDoll Info thread (UPDATED)

why is it called a smart doll just wondering???

 

They're called Smart Dolls because Danny Choo(The creator)'s original intention was to create a 1/3 scale robotic doll that you could interact with. Unfortunately, for the time being he put that idea to the side due to lack of funds to create the electronics needed for that in that size. However if I do remember correctly, he's currently working on a manual 120cm girl (1/2 scale, right?) to possibly eventually begin working towards his original intention of making robotic dolls featuring his cast of characters from his company. The first doll he made for sale was Mirai, his mascot, followed by Kizuna and now Eiji, followed by Ivory and Ebony.

 

You can find more details on them here: http://www.dannychoo.com/en/post/27274/Smart+Doll.html

 

Hopefully this helped! I thinkk I got most of it. Although if I missed something or didn't get something in my explanation quite right, please feel free to add onto this. >w>;

 

Pretty much. The non-robotic versions were originally intended to be a way to fund the robotic version, but they quickly became so popular that they have, for now, become the primary line. That, plus the fact that getting all of the motors to work, on a scale that will fit within a 1/3 frame has proven far more challenging than it first appeared, has put the robotic version a lot further out than he expected.

 

Last I heard, once the non-robotic smart dolls are going steadily, and ringing in enough revenue he plans to make the 1/2 scale robotic dolls to refine the technology so that he can then, hopefully, figure out how to make it work for 1/3 scale.

songstr3ss just about covered it BUT Ivory and Ebony are already released along with Mirai and Kizuna ,

Eiji should be released Dec 24th and Chitose should be coming in March 2016 , as for the Robotic version , the servos were to costly to miniaturize so He is working on 1/2 120mm version for the robotic one (because he can use of the shelf servos)

but he is still working on a 1/3 60cm version that will have "Smart phone like functions " but Not robotic functions like moving arms and legs ect . As for What SMART DOLL actually stands for Danny has now explained it as

SM (social media) ART DOLL

why is it called a smart doll just wondering???

Smart Doll is intended to mean 'Social Media Art Doll.' Still not entirely sure why Danny decided on that, but it's what he's said multiple times.

 

~Sister Kyoya

That and he's incorporated a lot of design choices based on his preferences and wants for a fashion doll, coming from what he was apparently frustrated with about DDs. The bigger examples are the higher poseability , but also the telescopic stand. (I think there's also more stuff about the inner skeleton that's different to a DD, but I'm not knowledgeable about DDs to know. But I do know it's sturdy enough for one doll to hold another piggy back style with no stand necessary, which is something DDs can not do)

The social media thing is because he wants people to share photos of their smart dolls using the tag. if you see the official smart doll Twitter, he is constantly re tweeting everyone's photos. I really like seeing the fascinating cross section of how varied the demographic is.

 

I really don't see how developing more 1/3 dolls - including darker skin tones and males, (something Volks are continuing to ignore), is 'worthless things' just because they aren't robotic. :/ Not everyone is going to afford or want the robot version... It makes much more sense to develop a fan base for the regular dolls first.

(I think there's also more stuff about the inner skeleton that's different to a DD, but I'm not knowledgeable about DDs to know. But I do know it's sturdy enough for one doll to hold another piggy back style with no stand necessary, which is something DDs can not do)

Hmmm... really? Well you better not tell Ralph since he apparently defies the laws of physics.

 

 

This is NOT the Smart Doll body, but A DDS body with some Obitsu pieces. This is the body Lucas has now but he uses a different male bust. I do admit that not all DD can do this because some of them have looser joints but it is more about getting the center of gravity in the right place.

 

 

 

Of course the Smart Doll bodies don't have trouble with it either.

 

~Sister Kyoya

But I do know it's sturdy enough for one doll to hold another piggy back style with no stand necessary, which is something DDs can not do)

Hmmm... really? Well you better not tell Ralph since he apparently defies the laws of physics.

 

When I read that about DD's not being able to hold up another doll on thier own, I knew that was wrong. I've had LOTS of my girls do piggyback rides, sit on shoulders and even do side carries. And all of the pics SK provided prove that too. I can't recall where my pics are on Flickr right now that show mine doing similar things but Sk did the job so I don't have to now.

 

 

Billy

 

 

EDIT: Found some!

 

Kanu ( a DDdy ) is holding an MDD all by herself, side carry style. She's not propped up against anything either so all the weight is being supported by Kanu.

 

DSC_1713 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

In this pic, Yoko ( a DDdy ) is doing a side carry with Minako ( an MDD) and Mamimi ( a DDS ) is giving a piggy back ride to Kino ( an MDD ). It looks like they're leaning into the bed behind them but they're actually standing on their own. See how Mamimi's feet are angled a bit weird? I had to do that to get her to balance correctly and not fall forward. Yoko's boots help her be more stable since the bottoms are nice and wide and flat. Yoko just had to lean back a little more to offset the weight of Minako.

 

DSC_8660 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

I can't find the shots I have of Manami with Yoko on her shoulders but just know that DD girls CAN do the same thing as the Smartdolls. It's all about the balance and center of gravity for them!

 

 

 

Billy

Huh, that's interesting to know, cos the folks on Twitter in both Japan and the west were going nuts over it like it was a religious revelation to see such a thing, so I just assumed it wasn't possible with DDs. How about two of the exact same size?

 

There was one pose I did see in which Ebony was standing with her body almost at a right angle bent over that a Japanese user posted as a way of showing the extent of the body's balance, and I saw a lot of replies by Japanese users unfamiliar with smart doll that were expressing surprise, saying things along the lines of 'that's a pose that'd be impossible for my girls'. I'll try digging up the photo later, it was retweeted on the smart doll twitter and is of a custom ebony with white/silver hair and golden eyes.

 

One thing I do know for certain just from reading customer reactions is the smart dolls neck and wrist/ankle joints are better/move more, however I heard DD was finally getting the better wrist joints now too.

Huh, that's interesting to know, cos the folks on Twitter in both Japan and the west were going nuts over it like it was a religious revelation to see such a thing, so I just assumed it wasn't possible with DDs. How about two of the exact same size?

 

 

It can be done

 

About 3 years ago, Volks posted pictures on their twitter or blog of the DD3 holding up another DD3 or maybe a DDS. The was when the DD3 was first released (specifically Moe v.2) so the pictures were to highlight the design/ strength of the new arms.

 

Don't ask me to dig through 3 years of Volks blog posts though @__@"

one of the biggest differences between DD and Smartdoll besides the telescopic stand is the Smart Doll has Triple Axis Joints on both the wrists and feet , If you stand a Smart doll with her feet wide apart her feet can still stand flat on the ground which makes her more stable in many poses , with a DD the wider apart you make her legs the less of her feet are flat on the ground until she is standing on the edges of her feet and not flat on her feet .

I suppose the appropriate response would be to question whether a DD could do the above. edit=well, the previous page.

 

From an outsiders perspective and judging by what I have read from other people comparing the DD and SmD, it -seems- like the SmD has better balance and poseability, but the newer DD bodies are catching back up. It doesnt seem like the SmD body is leagues ahead of the DD, just that it has a few neat little changes that make a lot of difference, such as the triple axis joints.

Once I finally have Eiji and Kagamine Rin (assuming I dont 'accidentally' buy a different DD as my first) I'll be able to find out for myself.

I suppose the appropriate response would be to question whether a DD could do the above. edit=well, the previous page.

 

I want to see any amalgamation of dolls doing that. It's just so silly, I want to see more of it!

Hi everyone! I'm so sorry if this question was answered already but I was wondering if anyone has recommendations on what size/brand magnets to get for Mirai's hands? I sent an email already to Danny but I thought maybe it might be faster to get a response here since he might be busy

 

This is my first time joining/posting! Never owned a ball jointed doll before so I'm super excited - my Mirai should be here relatively soon so I just want to be ready for her I purchased the optional hands to go with her - I'm going to make my own clothes and wigs and accessories for her. Can't wait!

 

*edit: whoops! I forgot to mention - somewhere in this 20+page thread someone mentioned about silicone wig caps for the head to protect it from possible stains from other wigs. Is staining something I should worry about with Mirai? (whether on her body or her head) Where can I purchase the silicone wig cap from? Sorry for all these newbie questions

 

*edit: whoops! I forgot to mention - somewhere in this 20+page thread someone mentioned about silicone wig caps for the head to protect it from possible stains from other wigs. Is staining something I should worry about with Mirai? (whether on her body or her head) Where can I purchase the silicone wig cap from? Sorry for all these newbie questions

 

With ant vinyl dolls staining is definitely a major potential issue. Depending on your tolerance for stains you will most likely want to tale any precautions you can. A silicone wig cap is basically cheap insurance, since many darker wigs can be staintastic. Not just the cheaper ones, either, some expensive wigs, even those made by Volks can leave ugly stains on heads. The wig caps can be purchased from Cool Cats http://us.sk-coolcat.com/front/bin/ptdetail.phtml?Part=ac_1&Category=158911, although there are probably other places to buy them, as well. Some wigs have been known to stain even through these, however, so some owners actually recommend both the cotton and silicone caps if you're particularly worried.

To clarify just a bit, the silicon cap helps the wig not slip off, while the cotton cap is for preventing staining. I've heard many stories of DD getting stained when there was just the silicon cap that seemed to only transfer the dye.

 

Of course if you have a wig that has a dark headcap... don't put it on without the cotton cap. I have 2 of my DD heads that are horridly stained after not following that rule. One of them was a Volks wig and stained massively in less than 10 minutes.

 

~Sister Kyoya

Thank you so much for the replies and clarifications! I'm so sorry for yet another newbie question but do I need to invest in some kind of protective body sock/cover for the body to prevent staining from clothes? I'm planning to line the clothes that I make but I figure nothing wrong with some extra preventative measures

If you're lining the clothes, I wouldn't worry about it. The biggest piece of advice I have is just don't leave them in dark clothing for extended periods of time. Of course, if you're really worried about it, the small investment in a body stocking could be worth your piece of mind, especially if you feel that you are likely to buy clothes.

 

I've never used body stockings, myself, ad my girls have had almost no issues at all with staining over the past few years, but I stick to light colors or lined darker colors (almost all of my outfits were made by SisterKyoya, or myself), and I really don't worry about stais nearly as much as a lot of other people seem to be. I never intend to sell any of my girls, so to me it's just not a big deal. All the same, in spite of taking almost no precautions, I have never had any really noticeable staining issues at all. On the other hand, I have personally witnessed some outfits, even from Volks, that left large, dark stains within minutes, so I guess I've just been lucky.

If you're lining the clothes, I wouldn't worry about it. The biggest piece of advice I have is just don't leave them in dark clothing for extended periods of time. Of course, if you're really worried about it, the small investment in a body stocking could be worth your piece of mind, especially if you feel that you are likely to buy clothes.

 

I've never used body stockings, myself, ad my girls have had almost no issues at all with staining over the past few years, but I stick to light colors or lined darker colors (almost all of my outfits were made by SisterKyoya, or myself), and I really don't worry about stais nearly as much as a lot of other people seem to be. I never intend to sell any of my girls, so to me it's just not a big deal. All the same, in spite of taking almost no precautions, I have never had any really noticeable staining issues at all. On the other hand, I have personally witnessed some outfits, even from Volks, that left large, dark stains within minutes, so I guess I've just been lucky.

 

Thank you for the advice Ravendruid! I think I'll purchase a body stocking just for future "insurance" (in case I do dress my doll in darker clothes later on down the line) - I already ordered the caps for my doll so hopefully they will arrive soon but it seemed like coolcat was sold out of the body stocking. Is there another website that I could purchase it from? I debated making it myself but it seems like a hassle to make a bodysuit

 

Also! I was super surprised but my doll apparently already arrived today! but I was unable to pick it up from my manager's office sadly because I was out all day and by the time I found out that my apartment manager had it, the office was closed First thing in the morning I will grab it Maybe I will do an unboxing video for fun since this is my first doll ever

Edited December 17, 2015 by Guest

 

 

Nailed it!

 

 

Aria is fine btw. She's just... oddly flexible.

 

 

Nailed it!

 

 

Aria is fine btw. She's just... oddly flexible.

 

Were they able to support themselves before they needed to be supported by the wall at all? This whole train of thought just makes me giggle. XD

@Minuette

 

They held their own for like, 2 seconds. Balance seems like the biggest problem for my girls at least. Maybe their ankles are looser than average or something but even just putting Miku on Celia's shoulders would only work for so long.

Maybe it'd work better if they were naked and wigless like the Smart Dolls, since they'll be twice as heavy otherwise.

Maybe it'd work better if they were naked and wigless like the Smart Dolls, since they'll be twice as heavy otherwise.

 

Yeah. That might help. I'll admit Miku's kigu was obnoxious to work around when posing them. Now, will they actually let me do that or will I get protesting dolls.

Yeah, I have a hard time getting Miku to stand up even on her own, since her wig is about as heavy as the rest of her put together.

Yeah, I have a hard time getting Miku to stand up even on her own, since her wig is about as heavy as the rest of her put together.

 

Huh. My Miku is actually my best poser I think. She became very good once I figured out how to work with them.