Japan Unveils Humanoid Robot

Japanese researcher Hiroshi Ishiguro has unveiled his latest robot creation which can smile and laugh by mimicking a person’s facial expression.

The robot, Geminoid TMF, can move its rubber facial skin to imitate a smile, a laugh and a grim look with furrowed brows, by receiving electric signals from the person it is modeled on.

The video below shows the robot, made to look like an attractive mid-20s woman, doing simultaneous mimicry of the real life woman, whose face was filmed with a video camera which then provided information on the expressions to the robot via electric signals.

The developers said that they expect the robot to be used in real-life situations such as in hospitals.

“We’ve already got some data showing that the robot gave patients psychological security by nodding and smiling at them, when patients were checked on by doctors,” said Satoko Inoue, spokeswoman for Kokoro, one of the two companies involved in the development.

“A new technology always creates some fears and negative opinions,” but the researchers wanted to make robots that could express something similar to human emotions, said Hiroshi Ishiguro, a professor at Osaka University who led the research.

Copies of the robot are expected to be sold at 10 million ten (approx 110, 000 USD), mainly to robotics research organizations.

Source.