BoT Talk: The Latest Tech for Kids
BoT Talk is the latest high-tech product for kids. A mobile communication device in the form of a watch and mobile device, Bot Talk was created in Japan and designed for children between the ages of 5 to 10 that enables them to communicate without providing access to the Internet or social media. Exclusive to Amazon, the Bot Talk costs $50 for the device and between $5 and $7 per month for service. It features two-way voice messaging, AI supervision, usual activity detection, and more.
CEO Yuki Ono has experience working at consulting firms, nonprofit organizations, and startups. Educated in America, he worked in New York before returning to his native Japan and worked in overseas business development that operated in fourteen countries. He recently discussed his experiences creating the BoT Talk and his hopes for its evolution.
Meagan Meehan (Q): How did you come up with the concept for BoT Talk and how long did it take to develop?
Yuki Ono (YO): BoT Talk was designed for children, aiming to support their development and address the need for immediate parental help in emergencies. We found adult-oriented smartphones and smartwatches expensive, delicate, and overly complex. Our solution was to create a child-focused service that fosters curiosity, ensures effective parent-child communication, provides supervision, and employs AI for safety. BoT Talk was conceived with the vision of being accessible to everyone, regardless of their financial situation or literacy level, filling a gap in the market for child-friendly communication tools.
Q: How different was the prototype from the final product?
YO: The prototype is mainly used to collect user feedback on the service. It utilizes a single contracted cellular line, resulting in limited location accuracy. The final product incorporates insights gained from the prototype and user feedback into the app and service. Additionally, it increases the contracted cellular lines to four, improving location accuracy and enhancing various response speeds.
Q: What made you decide to introduce this to the world via crowdfunding?
YO: Similar to the prototype, we conducted broad testing to assess the response to our product. For the full-scale sales launch starting in October, the product will be available on our official website (https://www.bot.app/us) and on Amazon Amazon.com : bot talk gps for kids
Q: How did you find a manufacturer?
YO: The BoT series has been fully developed, manufactured, and sold in-house in Japan since 2017. All parts used in the manufacturing process are sourced exclusively from trusted suppliers with whom we have long-standing relationships. These components meet international safety standards and ensure the product is highly resistant to water, dust, and impact.
Q: What features of the BoT Talk are you most proud of?
YO: It enables real-time location tracking of children, voice messaging between parents and children, and AI-powered behavior detection with automatic notifications for enhanced safety and peace of mind. BoT Talk features advanced “monitoring AI” for child safety, offering precise location tracking, anomaly detection, and unlimited voice messaging. The device is lightweight, durable, and simple for kids to use. Cost efficiency is achieved through voice and data compression technologies, resulting in an affordable monthly fee.
Q: How central was safety to the design of this product?
YO: BoT Talk is a durable, child-friendly device that’s light, waterproof, dust-proof, and shock-resistant. It allows voice messaging between parents and children, with a design hinting at speakers and microphones. It features a simple interface with sound cues and a 12-light LED display, avoiding complex operations. Designed for safety and communication, it omits harmful features like screen addiction, encouraging real-world engagement.
Q: What kinds of feedback have you gotten about the BoT Talk so far?
YO: BoT Talk has become a benchmark in Japan’s child monitoring GPS market, boasting top customer satisfaction and user numbers. Its innovation has spurred many copycat products, cementing its status as a market leader. The service’s acclaim extends to a partnership with Benesse, Japan’s premier correspondence education provider. Closed beta tests in various US cities have yielded overwhelmingly positive responses, with families praising the service’s unparalleled security and life-changing impact.
Q: Aside from language, how does the Japanese market differ from the American one?
YO: In Japan, tragic incidents involving children have been increasing, while more than 60% of households are dual-income, leading to a rise in demand for child monitoring services.
In the U.S., with a population around 3.3 times larger than Japan, the issues are even more severe. There are approximately 25 million children under 12, and about 28,000 children went missing in 2022, which is 30 times higher than in Japan. As schools ban smartphones, demand for services like ours, providing child monitoring without screens, is growing.
Q: What are your ultimate goals for Bot Talk?
YO: The BoT series aims to evolve not only as a child monitoring service but also as a tool that supports children’s growth through enhanced features and design. While already in use by some customers, the service is also expanding to monitor the elderly, aiming to protect the entire family. Our goal is to establish BoT as the global standard for family safety and peace of mind.
Q: What is coming up next for you and is there anything else that you would like to mention?
YO: After a year and a half of testing, we are thrilled to finally launch our service in the U.S. We are fully committed to ensuring that our service can positively contribute to the well-being of children in the U.S. and will continue to work diligently to achieve this goal!