A team of Japanese scientists have designed a robot that is reportedly capable of accurately laughing and smiling by mimicking human facial expressions.
According to SmartPlanet, the robot – dubbed Geminoid TMF – can alter its rubber facial skin to imitate a smile or laughter, or assume a grim look with furrowed brows simply by receiving electric signals from the individual the robot is modeled after.
“Osaka University researchers demonstrated the robot, showing how it could imitate a woman in her 20s by smiling and furrowing its brow in response to its human doppelganger doing the same thing,” wrote Andrew Nusca of SmartPlanet.
“A video camera records the face of a human, whose movements are converted to electrical signals to tell his or her robot ‘twin’ to make the same expressions.”
Geminoid TMF models are expected to carry a hefty price tag of 10 million yen, or approximately $110,000.
