Thursday, May 04, 2006

Skim Milk or Cream?

Check out the Scientific American article about robot designer Hiroshi Ishiguro's android Repliee Q1, fashioned after a local newscaster, Ayako Fujii. The likeness is remarkable and maybe a bit creepy. For just a second my eye can be fooled. Repliee's skin is made from Polyurethane and a five-millimeter-thick silicone.
"Appearance is very important to have better interpersonal relationships with a robot," says the 42-year-old Ishiguro. "Robots are information media, especially humanoid robots. Their main role in our future is to interact naturally with people."
Full article here.

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