Ameca, the humanoid robot with incredible facial expressions
His facial expressions are so accurate that they are "scary" even for its creators: we are talking about Ameca, the latest robot ready to amaze the whole world . Created by Engineered Arts, who called it the "most advanced humanoid robot in the world", the automaton has demonstrated sensational expressive abilities.
Ameca reacts when a person approaches him and when he tries to invade his personal space: the robot follows movements with curiosity, studies them and responds to stimuli not only through movement, but also by showing different moods.
The facial expressions of the Ameca robot
First there was Mesmer, a system for making realistic robots with hair, eyebrows, mustaches and beards; now, however, the new challenge of Engineered Arts is Ameca , the robot face of the future of robotics. The automaton presents itself as a platform for the development of robotic technologies, offering a frighteningly accurate range of facial expressions.
And scary (in a good way) it actually is: in the latest videos released by Engineered Arts Ameca performs in multiple facial expressions , perfectly reproducing various moods such as curiosity, annoyance and happiness. In addition to the quantity of expressions, what is left open-mouthed is the fluidity with which they are reproduced: the change is imperceptible and natural, almost equaling human capacity.
Ameca is modular on both the hardware and software side : the robot can be updated and customized, and you don't need to own it all to see it in action. The automaton is also able to recognize the facial expressions of those in front of him , identifying, in addition to age and sex, also the emotions he is feeling. Facial recognition takes place about 2 meters away from the robot, although Ameca is able to detect any movement within the room in which it is located.
Ameca weighs 49kg and is able to articulate 51 different movements with the torso and arms; he is over 1.80m tall and has an equally large arm span. The robot has 52 motors, most of which are located in the upper body. The automaton, exploiting the cloud, allows to realize the human-robot telepresence , guaranteeing real time conversations between different places in the world.
The robot is already on sale, even if the price is not specified on the company's website. Considering the price of other Engineered Arts robots, the cost would certainly be over $ 80,000. Ameca can also be rented, for example for events or congresses.
The areas of application
Ameca, like the other robots from Engineered Arts, is unable to walk, but was designed as a platform for the development of new technologies. The automaton was created from the perspective of AI x AB systems , i.e. where human-like artificial intelligence needs a human-like artificial body to express its full potential. These are systems in which the AI studies and reproduces human aspects, which then needs humanoid support to be exploited to the fullest.
Ameca can interface perfectly with the company's other products, such as Tritium and Mesmer. The first is the proprietary framework of Engineered Arts and the "brain" behind every automaton in the company; the second, already mentioned, is the company's flagship humanoid robot (at least until now).
Engineered Arts' robot Mesmer.
In addition to research and development, the robot can be used as a means of "human" communication at a distance or even simply as an attraction during various types of events. Being modular, each team can decide which part of the robot to exploit, depending on the research objectives. Once again robotics has shown how far it isprojected towards the future and how many limits it is able to overcome.
The article Ameca, the humanoid robot with incredible facial expressions comes from Tech CuE | Close-up Engineering .