Mojikan goes Alpha

April 16th, 2007

A young Australian start-up technology company, MOR(F) Dynamics, is taking instant messaging and social worlds to new heights of interactivity and intelligence. Since 2005, the Company has been busy implementing advanced techniques in language technologies, artificial intelligence and real-time 3D systems into a next-generation public instant messenger, dubbed the Moji Intelligent Messenger™.

MOR(F) has created the first instant messenger client and social worlds application that dynamically responds, reacts to and understands human language. The technology works by extracting meaning and emotion derived from a user’s chat dialogues and blogs in order to trigger a range of visual responses within the applications, thereby introducing a brand new immersive and deeply personal dimension to the user’s online and offline experience. By utilising the power of language analysis, the application is able to detect if a user is sad or moody and to then dynamically change elements such as the user’s wallpapers, music or widgets to either reflect that particular mood, or to alter the state of the environment such that the user feels better.

The Moji Intelligent Messenger™ is a fully 3-dimensional system that features intelligent virtual pets that feed off a user’s language. MOR(F) CEO, Robert Fong, describes the innovations of this product best when he says that “…for too long, public instant messengers have been uninteresting with few innovations that fail to enhance and improve human to computer interactions. The massive adoption of concepts such as virtual worlds and MMOGs is proving that users are immersing themselves into products that can interact with them on a deeply personal and emotional level. Two people chatting to each other and slinging emoticons back and forth is one thing. But throw in a personalised virtual pet that absorbs, learns, lives and communicates to the users, and immediately, the dynamic changes. All of a sudden you are no longer merely controlling an avatar to mimic your expressions. Instead, the pet has now entered into your own dimension. It can communicate its desires and thoughts to you. It understands you and can react to the way you feel or the things you like and dislike. We are confident that this kind of technology will enhance a user’s experience by making the way we interact with computers more life-like”.

The Intelligent Messenger translates beautifully into the company’s social world, the MojiKan™. By utilizing the same techniques as found in the messenger, MojiKan™ is an online place where users can explore a world of interactive pets, meet other “virtual pet-owners” with similar personalities, purchase new accessories for their pets, download new language capabilities, create their own personal page and to write blogs. The difference obviously is that all content within MojiKan™ responds and reacts to users’ language. In addition, users’ pets feature on their personal page as widget-pets that can communicate with friends and visitors to a particular personal page (see related press coverage on MOR(F)’s I-Widgets). “By analysing and observing patterns in a user’s blogs or personality descriptions, we use that information in many diverse ways from changing a user’s online environment to reflect his or her current mood to matching users to other compatible users that match their personalities, interests etc.” said Project Manager, Harris Roland. “We do this to such an extent that users can feel the power and influence of their language on their online experience and in the existence of their virtual pets. This is a real breakthrough for us”.

Robert adds that the company is currently targeting the massive instant messaging and social world communities especially teenagers and young adults. However, he also believes that there is a tremendous amount of potential in child safety utilising language technologies and a kid’s version is not far off (see related press coverage on MOR(F)’s child safety system). In the future, the company hopes to expand into areas such as market research, product placement and advertising, as well as mobile applications.

MOR(F) is currently in the last phases of their development and says that a commercial beta launch is due out mid-2007. The entire team is excited of the new possibilities that will confront users with the Moji Intelligent Messenger and are keen to obtain feedback from the general public as soon as possible. As a result, they are releasing a teaser campaign that introduces some of their innovations in the form of interactive “widget-pets”. Users can download and insert these widgets into their blog or social network sites and are invited to head over to www.mojikan.com where they would also be able to pre-register for a beta tester account to test-drive the Moji Intelligent Messenger™ and to provide feedback to the company.

Thanks, Robert