June 08, 2006
It's a life form Jim, but not as we know it
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But we also want to perfect robots for consumer and domestic uses, just the way we implemented them into industries in past decades. So here's one of the latest models testing now in Japan: Actroid. (The name is a cross between Actress and Android.)
She's very pretty, and speaks quite well, blinks, turns her head, uses her hands to gesture and so on. I don't think Actroid is perfect yet. She still moves a little like the old Disney characters at the Meet Mr. Lincoln exhibit. But she's getting there!
Click here if you want to see a video of Actroid in action. There are several linked to the creator's site. All of them are different. Try one: http://www.kokoro-dreams.co.jp/moviej.html
UPDATE: Here's another more interesting video about Actroid (in English) from National Geographic: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/03/0331_060331_robot_video.html