Instead of viewing robots as creepy and lifeless beings, with the ‘Mask-bot,’ we may simply start to perceive them as extensions of ourselves.
Created by German and Japanese researchers, the ‘Mask-bot’ is a revolutionary robot technology that translates a 2D photo of a person into a 3D face that mimics a human’s facial expressions and emotions -- for example, the ‘Mask-bot’ can be happy, sad or angry. A projection of a person’s face via real-time video can also be used, turning the robot into a "human avatar," which would come in handy for teleconferences and the like. In addition, human expressions recorded via motion capture can be used to create a completely new and unique face for the ‘Mask-bot,’ and it can speak anything that is typed in English or Japanese, although it currently cannot hold a normal human conversation on its own.
According to TechNewsDaily, this kind of innovation builds on technology seen at the Disney ‘Haunted Mansion’ ride (the ride projects faces of actors onto busts).
Realistic Projected-Face Robots
The ‘Mask-bot' Uses 2D Photos to Create 3D Facial Expr
Trend Themes
1. Realistic Face Projection - Developing projection technology that can bring realistic human faces to robots could disrupt the entertainment industry by bringing immersive experiences to theme parks and venues.
2. Emotive Robot Technology - The ability of robots to mimic human emotion and expression through emotive technology could change the healthcare industry by assisting with therapy and basic healthcare.
3. Human Avatars for Teleconferencing - With the advent of human avatars that project real-time video projection of persons faces into robots, the teleconferencing industry could see a rise in the ability to attend meetings and conferences from remote locations.
Industry Implications
1. Entertainment - Entertainment parks, video games, and other immersive entertainment industries could take advantage of the Mask-bot technology to provide more interactive, engaging and realistic experiences.
2. Healthcare - The healthcare sector, especially mental health therapy, can benefit from the development of emotion-based robot technology that could assist human therapists in identifying the emotional state of a patient.
3. Telecommunications - The teleconferencing industry could be disrupted with the rise of human avatars projected in robots, as remote workers and attendees would be able to have a truly immersive experience of being present at the meeting in real-time.