Barbie has been a princess, a chef, an astronaut and now, the popular doll is set to become a computer animation.

    Mattel has unveiled its 3-D Barbie Hello Hologram that lives inside a box and comes to life when a child says the magic words, “Hello Barbie.” Children can command the digital assistant, which Mattel says will cost less than US$300, to change clothes, set up reminders, dance to pre-programmed music and ask the AI* (artificial intelligence) various questions.

    Although Mattel is not sharing too much detail about the futuristic* Barbie, it seems to be about the same size as a fairly large Bluetooth alarm clock and exact prices and other specifications* have yet to be revealed.

    A smart phone is not required to use the 3-D holographic* figure, but pairing it with a handset lets parents control their child’s interaction with the technology. It lets users customize* the look of the animated doll including her hair and skin color.

    The holographic Barbie is a 2-D projection* of a 3-D animation, which does limit what children see. For example, you cannot view Barbie from the side in 3-D and you won’t be able to see her at all when looking through the back of the box.

    However, it’s said that the hologram’s conversation skills are like nothing Barbie has seen before.

    Mattel released Hello Barbie in 2015, which uses voice recognition* software and Wi-Fi connection to have a two-way conversation with children. (SD-Agencies)