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Japanese develop 'female' android
BBC News ^ | 07/27/2005 | David Whitehouse

Posted on 07/27/2005 11:51:46 AM PDT by WaveMan

Japanese scientists have unveiled the most human-looking robot yet devised - a "female" android called Repliee Q1.

She has flexible silicone for skin rather than hard plastic, and a number of sensors and motors to allow her to turn and react in a human-like manner.

She can flutter her eyelids and move her hands like a human. She even appears to breathe.

Professor Hiroshi Ishiguru of Osaka University says one day robots could fool us into believing they are human.

Repliee Q1 is not like any robot you will have seen before, at least outside of science-fiction movies.

She is designed to look human and although she can only sit at present, she has 31 actuators in her upper body, powered by a nearby air compressor, programmed to allow her to move like a human.

"I have developed many robots before," Repliee Q1's designer, Professor Ishiguru, told the BBC News website, "but I soon realised the importance of its appearance. A human-like appearance gives a robot a strong feeling of presence."

Designed to look human

Before Repliee Q1, Professor Ishiguru developed Repliee R1 which had the appearance of a five-year-old Japanese girl.

Its head could move in nine directions and it could gesture with its arm. Four high-sensitivity tactile sensors were placed under the skin of its left arm that made the android react differently to differing pressures.

The follow-up has the appearance of a Japanese woman. To program her motion, a computer analysed the motions of a human and used them as a template for the way Repliee Q1 moves.

She can be designed to follow the movement of a human wearing motion sensors or to act independently.

"Repliee Q1 can interact with people. It can respond to people touching it. It's very satisfying, although we obviously have a long way to go yet."

Professor Ishiguru believes that it may prove possible to build an android that could pass for a human, if only for a brief period.

"An android could get away with it for a short time, 5-10 seconds. However, if we carefully select the situation, we could extend that, to perhaps 10 minutes," he said.

"More importantly, we have found that people forget she is an android while interacting with her. Consciously, it is easy to see that she is an android, but unconsciously, we react to the android as if she were a woman."


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: android; butdoesshedodishes; donttelllaz; iwantablond; robot; whotoldlaz; willshecleanhouse; willsheputout; zaq
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To: Army Air Corps

Yes, is it running Mac OS or Windows? :) If it's open source, did some cunning hackers put in a back door? ;)

Regards, Ivan


141 posted on 07/27/2005 1:13:05 PM PDT by MadIvan (You underestimate the power of the Dark Side - http://www.sithorder.com/)
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To: BookaT
wnat to know more. I just read about a Japanese guy that opened "puppet" brothels. The guys come there and hump life size fake chicks. It was in germans Der Spiegel magazine this week.

How would you like to be the janitor at that place ?

142 posted on 07/27/2005 1:14:17 PM PDT by al baby (Father of the Beeber)
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To: al baby

Looks like a cup holder to me! lol


143 posted on 07/27/2005 1:14:17 PM PDT by TheForceOfOne (The alternative media is our Enigma machine.)
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To: MadIvan

I'll wager that it is a proprietary system - that way, their IT guys will have to be called in for a fix.


144 posted on 07/27/2005 1:14:26 PM PDT by Army Air Corps (Four fried chickens and a coke)
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To: WaveMan

How soon is "she" programmed to file the sexual harrassment suit?


145 posted on 07/27/2005 1:14:32 PM PDT by Publius6961 (Liberal level playing field: If the Islamics win we are their slaves..if we win they are our equals.)
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To: Publius6961

Well, she may have a firewall for NOW code.


146 posted on 07/27/2005 1:15:46 PM PDT by Army Air Corps (Four fried chickens and a coke)
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To: Army Air Corps
" there may be replicants in our lifetimes. That is a bit scary."

That depends on whether they have heaters or not.
147 posted on 07/27/2005 1:16:47 PM PDT by oldcomputerguy
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To: Modernman
I have to admit, that if that blonde cylon woman came to me and told me that she'd be mine if I betrayed the entire human race... Well, all I can say is it's been nice... You're all on your own! Bye!

Mark

148 posted on 07/27/2005 1:17:08 PM PDT by MarkL (It was a shocking cock-up. The mice were furious!)
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To: WaveMan
Professor Hiroshi Ishiguru of Osaka University says one day robots could fool us into believing they are human.

I immediately thought: Al Gore.

149 posted on 07/27/2005 1:18:38 PM PDT by ChuckShick (He's clerking for me...)
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To: WaveMan

"She has flexible silicone for skin rather than hard plastic, and a number of sensors and motors to allow her to turn and react in a human-like manner."

Sounds like half the women in Hollywood.


150 posted on 07/27/2005 1:18:55 PM PDT by doctor noe
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To: al baby

Kermit sightings are at an all time high....


151 posted on 07/27/2005 1:20:54 PM PDT by duffthor (Is it fishing time yet?)
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To: MarkL
I have to admit, that if that blonde cylon woman came to me and told me that she'd be mine if I betrayed the entire human race... Well, all I can say is it's been nice... You're all on your own!

Yup. What have the rest of you bozos ever done for me? This broad wants to bear my unholy Cylon-human hybrid child. Sorry about the mushroom clouds.

152 posted on 07/27/2005 1:20:58 PM PDT by Modernman ("A conservative government is an organized hypocrisy." -Disraeli)
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To: doctor noe

"Sounds like half the women in Hollywood."

Maybe it is part of a nefarious plan to take over Hollywood with less fussy actors...


153 posted on 07/27/2005 1:21:26 PM PDT by Army Air Corps (Four fried chickens and a coke)
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To: WaveMan
...she has 31 actuators in her upper body, powered by a nearby air compressor...

Finally! A pneumatic pump strong enough for a man...but made for a woman!

154 posted on 07/27/2005 1:32:21 PM PDT by Egon (By the way, I took the liberty of fertilizing your caviar.)
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To: SirChas
What will be funny is when they come out with a MAN robot. Then all the women upset about some of the comments in here will be all over the new-and-improved version.

Mankind better be careful with this stuff because when these robots get good enough, we'll be about 3 generations away from extinction.
155 posted on 07/27/2005 1:38:08 PM PDT by mad puppy ( "He's with me!" And I'm with W.)
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To: WaveMan

Will she provide "happy endings?"


156 posted on 07/27/2005 1:38:20 PM PDT by Moleman
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To: zbigreddogz

"Image hosted by Tripod. www.tripod.com"

OK, I have no idea.


157 posted on 07/27/2005 1:47:52 PM PDT by RebelBanker (To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of the women!)
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To: mad puppy
What will be funny is when they come out with a MAN robot.

How is that going to happen? The "no testosterone" crowd is incapable of engineering anything.

158 posted on 07/27/2005 1:51:20 PM PDT by Fido969 ("The story is true" - Dan Rather)
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To: WaveMan

Next up, a demon android with tentacle-peni.


159 posted on 07/27/2005 1:51:29 PM PDT by wingnutx (Seabees Can Do!)
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To: RebelBanker

:shrugs: shows up on my computer.


160 posted on 07/27/2005 2:10:49 PM PDT by zbigreddogz
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