[Video] Humanoid robot takes on extremely realistic expressions

Engineered Arts, a UK-based humanoid robot maker, recently showed off one of its most lifelike creations in a video posted to YouTube. The robot, named Ameca, is shown making a series of incredibly human-like facial expressions.

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At the beginning of the video, Ameca appears to be “waking up,” as her face conveys a mix of confusion and disappointment when she opens her eyes. But when Ameca begins to look at her hands and arms, her mouth opens and her eyebrows raise in an expression of surprise. The end of the video shows Ameca smiling and extending a welcoming hand to the viewer.

Despite her lifelike face, however, Ameca doesn't walk, flip, or parkour like Boston Dynamics' Atlas robot. That said, we probably won't see Ameca walking and talking among us anytime soon. Engineered Arts says the bot isn't capable of walking, though it wants to give it that ability at some point. As for whether Ameca is powered by artificial intelligence, Engineered Arts explains that it's leaving the AI ​​capabilities up to the developers, simply handling the highly realistic expressions.

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If Ameca isn't exciting enough for you, Engineered Arts has also developed another realistic bot, called Mesmer. The company says it used 3D scans of real people to give the bot accurate bone structure, skin texture, and realistic facial expressions. In a video released a few days after Ameca's reveal, Mesmer makes a series of expressions that look even more convincing, given that this bot has more lifelike skin and facial features than Ameca currently has.

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Since Engineered Arts is focused on creating humanoid robots for entertainment, Ameca and Mesmer will likely be the center of attention at venues and events, as opposed to robots designed to do a specific job or take over all of humanity. If you want to see Ameca in real life, Engineered Arts says it will be on display at CES 2022 in January.