Hello again, HN! I’m Wen Bo and I recently built and launched Alto - it’s an app that enables you to chat and connect with others while preserving privacy and comfort through customizable avatars animated by you.
I moved to San Francisco last November, and since then, I’ve found it difficult to meet new people due to sheltering in place and social distancing. I’ve tried apps like Chatroulette but found it uncomfortable using my video while chatting with complete strangers.
I wanted to create a safe virtual space for myself and others to connect without sharing our video feeds. I also didn’t want to sacrifice the visual cues that help us communicate in more meaningful ways.
You can customize your avatar by selecting from 7 skin tones, 10 hair styles, and 10 hair colors that are currently available. Feel free to join any room or invite anyone in the lobby to chat. Once you’re in a chat, you’ll speak as you normally do, and through your webcam, you’ll animate your customized avatar with your movements. Users you chat with will hear you and only see your avatar.
I moved to San Francisco last November, and since then, I’ve found it difficult to meet new people due to sheltering in place and social distancing. I’ve tried apps like Chatroulette but found it uncomfortable using my video while chatting with complete strangers.
I wanted to create a safe virtual space for myself and others to connect without sharing our video feeds. I also didn’t want to sacrifice the visual cues that help us communicate in more meaningful ways.
You can customize your avatar by selecting from 7 skin tones, 10 hair styles, and 10 hair colors that are currently available. Feel free to join any room or invite anyone in the lobby to chat. Once you’re in a chat, you’ll speak as you normally do, and through your webcam, you’ll animate your customized avatar with your movements. Users you chat with will hear you and only see your avatar.
Here's my previous post: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24824283.
Looking forward to your feedback and hope you make new friends!