Face-changing Robot

September 19, 2007 9:36 PM

The Waseda-Docomo face robot No. 2is a 3D robotic model of a human face with 56 degrees of freedom. It can mimic any human face with an average accuracy of 3.5mm. Watching it in action is kind of creepy. [via Make]
posted by pombe (19 comments total)

"Something's wrong. She's NEVER this nice."
posted by katillathehun at 9:42 PM on September 19, 2007 [2 favorites has favorites]

Freedom is on the move.

Creepy, indeed.
posted by Poolio at 9:44 PM on September 19, 2007

Reminds me of Lwaxana Troi's box. Uh, the gift box.
posted by Henry C. Mabuse at 9:54 PM on September 19, 2007

Dibs on the witty Uncanny Valley comment! As soon as I think of one.
posted by sourwookie at 10:03 PM on September 19, 2007

Good, good, Waseda-Docomo is a great sounding name for an oppressive cyberpunk-style manufacturing hegemomy, I look forward to their corporate and, inevitably, world domination.
posted by Jon Mitchell at 10:08 PM on September 19, 2007 [3 favorites has favorites]

No, not what you say when your female parent asks you the name of some shrubbery, i mean hegemony. Drat.
posted by Jon Mitchell at 10:10 PM on September 19, 2007

And how, exactly, is this any different from the nightly news?
posted by Goofyy at 10:23 PM on September 19, 2007

Brian Williams is less lifelike.
posted by Item at 10:42 PM on September 19, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

Very creepy. But at least I know where we can get a good pair of cheap glasses for it.
posted by slogger at 10:44 PM on September 19, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

I'd be really impressed if Wa-Do-2 gender-fucks linguistically to match its face.
posted by rob511 at 10:46 PM on September 19, 2007

That's really astoundingly good. The Japanese have been making incredible progress in development of lifelike androids in recent years.
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 11:49 PM on September 19, 2007

Maybe it's a function of not knowing the language, but the guy in that video would pass for me as human, at least briefly.
posted by Malor at 1:46 AM on September 20, 2007

Oh, Japan, what won't you dehumanize? [redux]
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 2:30 AM on September 20, 2007

on a related note.. found in the "similar" links is equally surreal, creepy and amazing.
posted by Dillonlikescookies at 3:08 AM on September 20, 2007

er.. this. *slaps forehead*
posted by Dillonlikescookies at 3:14 AM on September 20, 2007

Oh, lovely, a new form for my nightmares to take.
posted by Astro Zombie at 3:18 AM on September 20, 2007

The second image from the first link veered too far into the Uncanny Valley.
posted by Smart Dalek at 5:07 AM on September 20, 2007

The first youtube link reminds me of this H.R. Giger painting.
posted by Pastabagel at 7:02 AM on September 20, 2007

While very impressive, all I could think when watching the first video is that noses and cheekbones are not meant to move that way.

Which I believe I articulated as such:

"Sweet Jesus, what the fuck? Holy crap that's not right, please, please make it stop"

Whilst diving behind my chair.

I am forced to conclude that Number 1 was destroyed when it tried to consume the souls of the designers in the lab.
posted by quin at 10:18 AM on September 20, 2007