Geminoid F, the uncannily lifelike fembot we saw in April, is back in a new PR vid from Kokoro, a Tokyo-based entertainment company that collaborates with Osaka University'sHiroshi Ishiguro in the creation of androids both feminine and creepy.
Geminoid F was so named because it's a nearly exact replica of a human female model, seen here. In the new video, the robot calls itself "Actroid F," as it has joined the ranks of other Actroid robots produced by Kokoro.
The air servo-powered fembots can be rented for trade shows and other events. While Actroid F can move its eyes, mouth, head, and back, it can also act as a telepresence robot. Cameras and face-tracking software follow a remote operator so facial expressions and head movements are reproduced in the robot in a master-slave relationship via Internet link.
Actroid F has minimal servomotors to save on cost, and it can't walk. But Kokoro reportedly announced plans to sell 50 units to museums and hospitals for some $110,000 apiece, aiming for them to serve in roles such as receptionist, patient attendant, or guide. The company has said patients have reacted favorably in a hospital trial.
ATR Intelligent Robotics and Communication Laboratories, backed by the government, companies, and academia, also collaborated in Actroid F's development, one of many robot projects Japan has funded as it tries to develop next-generation machines to meet social needs..
Comments