Jules The Mandroid
Tinkalicious — November 14, 2008 — Tech
A robot that mimics your facial expressions is a little bit freaky, but apparently a useful addition to this world. Terminator anyone?
Let me introduce you to Jules the Mandroid.
The humanoid robot has been developed to allow robots to have what is apparently crucial for robot interaction.
"If you want people to be able to interact with machines, then you’ve got to be able to do it naturally," says Chris Melhuish. "When it moves, it has to look natural in the same way that human expressions are, to make interaction useful."
The disembodied head of Jules (that alone seems a little off) displays different facial movements after being picked up by a video camera and mapped onto the tiny electronic motors in Jules’ skin.
His expressions range from grins and grimaces to furrows of the brows (these robots wouldn't respond too well with the overly-botoxed.)
While Copycat robot heads are nothing new, this is the first with a realistic, human-looking face. Not everyone believes that's a good thing; it seems some people are disconcerted by humanoid automatons that simply look ‘too human’. Some also worry that vulnerable people, like children or the elderly, may mistake Jules for an actual human.
Let me introduce you to Jules the Mandroid.
The humanoid robot has been developed to allow robots to have what is apparently crucial for robot interaction.
"If you want people to be able to interact with machines, then you’ve got to be able to do it naturally," says Chris Melhuish. "When it moves, it has to look natural in the same way that human expressions are, to make interaction useful."
The disembodied head of Jules (that alone seems a little off) displays different facial movements after being picked up by a video camera and mapped onto the tiny electronic motors in Jules’ skin.
His expressions range from grins and grimaces to furrows of the brows (these robots wouldn't respond too well with the overly-botoxed.)
While Copycat robot heads are nothing new, this is the first with a realistic, human-looking face. Not everyone believes that's a good thing; it seems some people are disconcerted by humanoid automatons that simply look ‘too human’. Some also worry that vulnerable people, like children or the elderly, may mistake Jules for an actual human.
Trend Themes
1. Facial Expression Mimicking Robots - The trend of developing robots that mimic facial expressions presents opportunities for disruptive innovation in human-robot interaction and communication.
2. Human-like Robot Heads - The trend of creating human-like robot heads opens up possibilities for realistic and relatable robot interactions, but also raises concerns about the blurring of boundaries between humans and robots.
3. Emotion Recognition Technology - The trend of using emotion recognition technology in robots allows for more natural and intuitive human-robot interactions, paving the way for innovative applications in various industries.
Industry Implications
1. Robotics - The robotics industry can leverage the trend of facial expression mimicking robots to create socially intelligent robots that can better interact with humans in areas such as healthcare, customer service, and entertainment.
2. Artificial Intelligence - The artificial intelligence industry can explore the trend of human-like robot heads to develop emotionally intelligent AI systems that can better understand and respond to human emotions in fields like virtual assistants, therapy, and education.
3. Entertainment - The entertainment industry can utilize emotion recognition technology in robots to create immersive experiences, interactive companions, and lifelike characters in movies, animations, theme parks, and gaming.
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