A New Humanoid Robot Has the Most Advanced and Realistic Facial Expressions Yet (interestingengineering.com) 44
A U.K.-based company Engineered Arts has developed a humanoid robot that can display human-like expressions with ease. Interesting Engineering reports: In a short video released on YouTube, the company shows off its most advanced humanoid, dubbed Ameca, which is initially a platform for testing robotic technologies. As is seen in the video [...], the humanoid appears to have woken up in a robotic laboratory while an actual human is busy working in the background. The robot moves its arms, shows a flurry of expressions in a matter of seconds, and even expresses amazement at how its hands and fingers move fluidly before looking at the camera quite surprised. The teaser is a sufficient demonstration of what the robot can do when it comes to the upper half of the body.
Its lower half though is quite non-functional at the moment. For a humanoid robot, Ameca still can't walk, the Engineered Arts website says. Even though the company has carried out research on this, it hasn't transferred the learnings to the robot yet. [...] Engineered Arts uses a modular architecture for its building its robots. So, upgrades to both, software and hardware components can be made without having to purchase a new robot altogether. So, sooner or later, Ameca will walk too.
Ameca is powered by Engineered Arts' Tritium operating system that allows companies engaged in the development of robotics to test their technologies. Whether it is artificial intelligence or machine learning technology that companies or startups are developing, they can test and even demonstrate their tech in front of a live audience using Ameca. According to its website, Engineered Arts can even rent out Ameca for expos or live TV discussions.
Its lower half though is quite non-functional at the moment. For a humanoid robot, Ameca still can't walk, the Engineered Arts website says. Even though the company has carried out research on this, it hasn't transferred the learnings to the robot yet. [...] Engineered Arts uses a modular architecture for its building its robots. So, upgrades to both, software and hardware components can be made without having to purchase a new robot altogether. So, sooner or later, Ameca will walk too.
Ameca is powered by Engineered Arts' Tritium operating system that allows companies engaged in the development of robotics to test their technologies. Whether it is artificial intelligence or machine learning technology that companies or startups are developing, they can test and even demonstrate their tech in front of a live audience using Ameca. According to its website, Engineered Arts can even rent out Ameca for expos or live TV discussions.
Who cares? (Score:1)
Also: creepy.
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I'll say.
The first image looks like it's got a klingon brow ridge thing going on. Might be good for alien special effects, but I don't think that thing will be reading the nightly news any time soon.
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Re: Who cares? (Score:1)
Who cares?
I understand your sentiments but there's a very real risk that it'll become President when Joe bites it.
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It's called "the uncanny valley" where the closer we get to full likeness, the more creepy and unsettling it is to us.
We'd actually trust robots with faces that are more artificial than realistic.
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We'd actually trust robots with faces that are more artificial than realistic.
Evidence #1: Loveable Droid [theoldrobots.com]
Re:Who cares? (Score:5, Insightful)
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Bullshit. This is not "nerdy". This is common morons going for animism.
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What do you mean "animism"?
Although I agree that humanoid robots are bullshit.
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Also: creepy.
Come on, you know you want to see her O face.
Not bad, but... (Score:2)
Well... (Score:3)
I usually like robots. But this thing scared me.
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The whole idea behind "humanoid robots" was the theory
that people would be more accepting of them if they
looked like people. But, the best-loved bot in the world
looks nothing like a human:
Loveable [deviantart.net]
while the "humanoid" bots are terrifying.
AI training dataset (Score:3)
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A pornstar that never forgets to look interested in the proceedings? Yeah, I could see that being valuable for sure. Dead eyes equals dead dick, if you have empathy anyway.
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And in Soviet Russia, CowboyNeal gets frist psot to welcome his new robotic overlords!
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Frost Pist you stupid motherfuckers!
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goatse.cx you dumb fuckin' turd
(JK I luv u for even knowing it's a thing, now go meatspin youself okay)
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The shoulder linkage seems wrong. (Score:2)
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I am not convinced this is real just because the author says it is. The motions of the arm look too complex for the mechanism that surrounds the shoulder. Particularly, the hydraulic or pneumatic piston that seems to both lift the arm and extend the forearm. This is a terrible placement (mechanically) for a reliable/useful/accurate linkage. The video is literally incredible and unbelievable.
You are not convinced of its reality enough to believe it, but are convinced enough to claim it's fake? :)
Other than that, your problem seems to be assuming the piston is related to both of those motions. It is not.
Go back to the video, click their channel name, then 'videos' to see everything on their channel.
The video named "Mesmer Modules" (4 videos prior to this one) will show the arm assemblies.
Here you can see the 4 motors and 2 pistons in the shoulder moving the arm, combined with the 8 motors in th
Calculon (Score:2)
Yawn (Score:3, Insightful)
Fun stuff but so what?
After decades of research on human facial expressions we have documented how faces change in relation to thoughts and emotions. We know what facial buttons to push to invoke assumptions and responses from people. These guys created an animatronic face that can be sequenced to mimic these facial expressions.
Interesting but it doesn't signal any advance in AI, although it likely helps to fool people interacting with the sequential programming behind the device.
Really just a creepier Fozzie Bear with the puppeteer at a keyboard.
Re:Yawn (Score:4, Interesting)
There was no claim that it's an AI advance. Yet as you say, realistic facial expressions and mannerisms of movement are apparently a big part of why we may subconsciously consider a robot more "human". It can be a key part of telepresence, assistive robots for the elderly and whatever other applications were mentioned on the top
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The displayed technology has been around for a long time. The company does make some hand waving AI demo platform claims but they don't appear to have anything that works or is of interest yet else it would have been promoted in the story.
The story should have been marked spam as it seems to be nothing more than a come on for their CES booth.
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a big part of why we may subconsciously consider a robot more "human"
As in not even remotely human.
Obligatory quote... (Score:5, Funny)
"I did not murder him!"
All that video... (Score:2)
...and not a single comment about Cylons? I'd expect that from Youtube, but frankly, I'm a little disappointed in the lot of you.
Next steps (Score:2)
I wonder how long it will be before celebrities are licensing out their images for use with "fully functional" versions of this machine.
Who cares? (Score:2)
I don't need facial expressions in a robot. I need it to just tell me. Are they trying to make robots in the image of women, where you're supposed to guess what they want based on facial expressions?
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Human facility with non-verbal communication is distributed on a bell curve. For some people facial expressions literally convey nothing, and for them there is literally no way a technology like this could ever have any practical use. But for most people it's not hard to see applications for robots communicating this way.
You certainly wouldn't need an industrial robot to have facial expressions, but as robots do more things that heretofore only humans did, they can use non-verbal communication for the exa
Ahnald (Score:1)
Its lower half though is quite non-functional (Score:2)
Unlike Data, which we know is fully functional.
Sex bots coming soon (Score:1)
Looks like they have watched to many (Score:1)
Looks like they have watched to many youtube reaction videos and think thats what real facial expressions look like.