JUST LIKE HUMANS, THIS ROBOT CAN PRETEND TO CARE

While the crappy robots are sold to the masses, the really cool stuff remains the domain of Japanese robotics geeks who last week announced the creation of the first robot which will be able to pretend to feel emotions and frown or smile according to its artificial consciousness. A humanoid robot named Kansei (Japanese for “sensibility” and “emotion”) is powered by elaborate speech recognition software which will enable the robot to recognize when humans are happy or sad and respond appropriately. After analyzing human speech and deciding on a response, the robot is then able to contort the artificial skin on its face in order to convey expressions. “Kansei is a comprehensive concept useful for the design of human interface. It includes sensibility, sensitivity, feeling and emotion,” said professor Shigeki Sugano of Waseda University in Tokyo. In the future, they hope this type of robot will be able to care for the elderly, clean your home, or greet people at a reception desk. (Discovery News)