Another creepy android from Japan
Do they make these robots so repugnant on purpose?
It has 50 sensors and a series of motors to help it move and has been built to help pensioners and disabled people move better.Japanese boffins unveil 'life-like' robogirlJapanese boffins from Tsukuba University developed the Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL) suit using flexible silicon skin.
And robotics company Cyberdyne Inc are set to start making it on a mass scale on Friday.
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I'm curious whether this is the original video, or whether it's been slightly redubbed; the music is especially creepy, and it seems odd that the original roboticists would have done that intentionally.
Isn't she the one that crawls out of the well and steals your soul a few days after watching a video tape?
In many ways, the HAL is far more interesting - it's a commercially viable exoskeleton. It even looks fairly cool.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ynL8BCXih8U
Though you've got to wonder what's up with names taken from sci-fi that involves robots/ais running amok.
First off, the title has "android" misspelled.
Second, I don't know about "repugnant", since it's said it was made to resemble a specific 5-year-old girl. I think it's just creepy because of it's eerily lifelike. At any rate, I think androids shouldn't be made to be too good looking, or we'll end up with a Monroe-bot situation where nobody feels the need to impress the opposite sex and procreate.
Uncanny Valley at its finest.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncanny_Valley
Seriously, why would you name your robotics company Cyberdyne? It's just asking for trouble.
I can't be the only one thinking of moe otaku buying these and treating them like Real Dolls.
Did...did the first batch of comments for this post go away?
A bunch of comments mysteriously disappeared from the system at about 1400 PDT. We're trying to figure out why.
Regarding the disappearing comments -- It's my fault. When I first posted this item (and the one about persimmons) I did so while signed in as our guest blogger Richard Metzger (He has been emailing his pieces to me, and I post them on his behalf, because he has never blogged before). When I discovered that I had been posting my own stuff under Richard's name, I deleted the posts and republished them under my name. Sadly, all the comments on the original posts got wiped out. I'm sorry about that!
Ah.
It's pretty amazing, but the poor connection between the eyelid silicon and the eyelid opening/closing mechanics looks kind of slipshod. Once researchers can combine ASIMO-type walking robots with the silicon-doll-on-a-pedestal type robots, then it's time to run for the hills (or get out your credit card. YMMV.)
Translation: "Why...did you bring me... to life? Existence... agony... n- nausea...bzzt." (Not a real translation.)
The battle lines are being drawn! The wisdom of repugnance vs. defiant repugnance! Yea, though I walk through the uncanny valley of the shadow of LIFE I shall fear no EVO!" (Not a real belief.)
MakeUP!!
Mark is covering for Repliee R-1, who hacked BB's comment software to remove a series of unflattering comments about her.
I think we should team up Repliee with that robot Triceratops on BB Gadgets. Creepy and cute, together at last!
"It has 50 sensors and a series of motors to help it move and has been built to help pensioners and disabled people move better."
I can only assume old people and people with disabilities will be fleeing in terror which, in many cases, will demonstrate an improvement in mobility.
My most favorite ever conversation with a coworker:
Him : "...one day when we're all finally having sex with robots."
Me : "Will that be before or after they've taken over the earth?"
*pause*
Him : "Well either way we're the real winners."
Well, leaving aside the fact that it's modeled on a five year old kid, it's got a long way to go (22 years actually) to match this sort of thing:
The Sarah Connor Chronicles - Cameron: "I Love You John!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Py7DVRs6kM
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles - Preview 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60EOR_TanmI
Cameron's Terminator Tactics
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e6tBAaykg4
RUBBISH!.. that was ridiculous!.. I'm aghast sir, aghast!.. my mum could make a better android. She just wobbled around a bit in no particular manner.
the matrix is far off... phew.
Why is my initial reaction KILL IT--KILL IT NOW!!? Does this make me a violent person, or a reasonable one?
I agree that the Uncanny Valley is strong with this one.
An army of creepy robotic children...
...yet another reason to look into buying land in the far north and building a bomb shelter.
One word.
YUCK.
What is the point?! Did they not watch A.I.?! (Actually... they probably just fell asleep halfway through like everyone else.)
Maybe she will grow up with date-rape avoidance skills like this robot:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzawyIczvhE
"I don't like it when you touch my breasts."
I think some media organization mixed together two separate stories. Cyberdyne is getting set to mass produce the Human Assistive Limb robot "suit". It's to help people with disabilities move their limbs.
Nothing on their website refers to the Replie R1.
Which has a "suit" of silicone over the mechanical parts.
And the 32 second video of the R1 says nothing about Cyberdyne or about the R1 going into mass production.