Yomiplanet is a toymaker specializing in collectible dolls with exaggerated proportions. You don’t see a lot of Yomiplanet on the internet cos they seem to have vanished from this planet. The last time Yomiplanet showed any sign of life was in 2019 on the Chinese microblogging platform Weibo. But this trendy collectible maker is not only alive and kicking but it is making collectible dolls relevant in the age of artificial intelligence.
Yomiplanet has partnered with AI Conversation toy developer FoloToy to introduce the world’s first AI 12-inch doll, the Yomiplanet x FoloToy Sentry Frank W. Murphy. And yes, it has a name because it is kind of like a person except it cannot move independently. It’s a doll, not a robot.
Murphy here has exaggerated proportions; it has an “A” shaped body with large limbs, and even larger hands and feet. It is clad in a space suit that is outfitted with magnet-activated light-up features on the wrist bands, on the gloves, and on the space boots which appear inspired by Nike Back to the Future self-lacing shoes.
Murphy has two displays on him. There is a display on the chest which you can choose to display one of the many preset animated graphics, and then there is a display for his face. Totally not creepy at all. You can reveal this display by removing the face plate and the visor.
You can choose to display the figure with a regular face, a regular face with the visor, or just a digital face with the visor, That said, it is also supplied with an additional head if you wish to switch out the digital face head. Also included is a pair of hands, and in the limited edition, it comes with collectible plastic cards with serial numbers, a packaging box that can display as a display box, and a light that you can magnetically attach to the inside of the box to light up the display.
Yomiplanet x FoloToy Sentry Frank W. Murphy has to be connected to the internet via WiFi to enable its AI functionality. The figure further boasts support for 8 languages and a built-in rechargeable battery.
The Yomiplanet x FoloToy Sentry Frank W. Murphy AI 12-inch Doll was released earlier this year but the thing is, I can’t find it being sold anywhere and when I did, the price was just over the top. I found a white and a black, non-limited edition being sold on eBay for US$1,500. I know. It’s bonkers. I also found one limited edition version being transacted on China’s biggest second-hand marketplace Xianyu for around 3,000 RMB, which is around 415 USD.
Images: BIC劉 via Instagram (lister1983).
