The matchmaking event took place in Tokyo. 28 marriage-seeking singles sat around a table with tiny bots between them speaking on their behalf. The event was a success and four new couples were formed. They said the Cupidon robots helped calm their nerves.
These robotic wingmen served as a messenger for each person to introduce themselves, since many said they felt too nervous to make a conversation on their own. Information was pre-loaded into their system from a 45-question survey participants completed prior to the event, on different subjects such as interests and current job.
Marriage-hunting events, also referred to as ‘konkatsu’ are believed to have become popular in Japan beginning in the early 2000s.
The party was organized by the Tokyo-based Contents innovation Program (CiP) Association, which develops AI, robotics and other tech. The bots used in this innovative speed-dating party were developed by Sharp Corporation in collaboration with Japanese media company Cyber Agent.
The name of the matchmaking robot is RoBoHon and it has many other skills.
