New mobile service with SeeStorm 3D characters in Japan

February 17, 2005

Dimps Corporation, Japanese computer game and mobile content provider, launched new mobile content service "* Com" with 3D characters (Avatars). The service is based on 3D talking character technology of SeeStorm, the pioneer developer of synthetic video software.

The service provides mobile users with a new highly attractive way of personalization of their handsets: via live and emotional animated characters. Avatar "lives" on the screen of the handset as screensaver and visualizes the phone's events.

Avatars presented by Dimps Co. are humans and pets, funny pictures and cartoon personages, so that each subscriber could find the one most appealing to him or her, and endow the phone with a most friendly "personality". Smiling cat, winking baby or glooming bus - that's what can look at you from the screen of the mobile handset, if you choose so (www.dimps.co.jp/kcm/index.html).

User can also create his or her own 3D characters from a photo made directly with a cameraphone. It is easy as 1-2-3: take a picture by cameraphone - send it to server - receive a new 3D character, absolutely personal and unique. User's photo can be mixed with a background picture or animated effects can be added, to get a fully individual funny avatar on mobile phone.

Avatars can express emotions and change moods, and their behavior is an immediate reaction to handset inner and incoming events. Doggy cries if battery is low and have aureole around the head if somebody is calling or a message has arrived, etc.

3D talking characters technology is developed by SeeStorm, technology innovator in computer vision and sophisticated speech processing and pioneer developer of synthetic video solutions. All characters presented by Dimps and their behavior are generated with SeeStorm software.

SeeStorm products for next-generation wireless avatar services are delivered to Japanese market via SeeStorm partnership with Kyocera Communications Systems, the biggest data center serving all major Japanese mobile operators (NTT DoCoMo, KDDI and Vodafone).

SeeStorm partners with communication solutions providers, handset manufacturers, processor makers, mobile carriers and wireless content and service providers to deliver rich-media personalized speech and visual communications to mobile and PC users.