Real-World Ghost in the Shell Tachikoma's Personality Depends on You

A half-size interactive Tachikoma robot, like those seen in the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex anime, is debuting at the I.G Store Tour Shop in Osaka's Asia and Pacific Trade Center last Thursday. The website Animate Times began streaming a video on Tuesday that highlights the limited opportunity for people to meet the good-natured robot.

People who download Karakuri Products' iOS app Virtual Agent Tachikoma can interact with the robot. The app launched on December 16, and the Tachikoma can deliver to users merchandise that they reserve through the app. The Tachikoma can say app users' names and communicate with them. The robot's personality will vary depending on each individual user's interactions with it.

The Kōkaku Kidōtai: S.A.C. 1/2-Size Tachikoma Realize Project will showcase the 65-kilogram (about 143-pound) robot at the Asia and Pacific Trade Center until January 30. The Tachikoma debuted on December 23 and appeared at the I.G Store on the seventh floor of Tokyo's Shibuya Marui department store from January 2 to January 15.

The Ghost in the Shell Realize Project launched in 2014 with the aim of recreating aspects of the futuristic, technologically advanced world of Ghost in the Shell. The project's focus last year was creating the spider-like Tachikoma. I.G Store's official YouTube channel began streaming a video about the robot earlier this month.

The projects developers held a press event to unveil the robot in December. At that time, they said their goal was to have the half-size Tachikoma available in stores to help with customer service. The developers explained that they wished to "destroy the present state of affairs, where there's no robot infrastructure," and thought of how to "introduce the robot that users are requesting." The project is slated for completion in March 2018.​