Photos: Osaka University (left); Osaka University and Kokoro Company (right); composite (middle).
Geminoid F, the female android recently unveiled by Hiroshi Ishiguro, a roboticist at Osaka University and ATR famous for his ultra-realistic humanlike androids, generated a lot of interest. Several people wrote me asking for more details and also more images. So here's some good news. I got some exclusive photos and video of Geminoid F, courtesy of Osaka University, ATR Intelligent Robotics and Communication Laboratories, and Kokoro Company. Below is a video I put together giving an overview of the project.
Watch in HD here.
And here are some more photos of the android. The first one below is a composite I created using the two photos right beneath it. It shows how the android's silicone body hides all the mechanical and electronics parts.
Composite based on photos below. Notice that the robot's body is not in the exact same position in the two images, so the composite is not a perfect match; also, I had to flip the robot skeleton image to get the right angle, creating a mirrored image that obviously doesn't correspond to reality.
Photos: Osaka University and Kokoro Company; Osaka University
Here's a Kokoro engineer working on the android's face. Ishiguro and Kokoro have long been collaborators, creating several humanlike androids that include the Geminoid HI-1 and Repliee Q1 and Q2.
Photo: Osaka University and Kokoro Company
In developing Geminoid F, Ishiguro paid particular attention to the facial expressions. He wanted an android that could exhibit a natural smile -- and also a frown.
Photos: Osaka University
The android is a copy of a woman in her twenties. Ishiguro told me that her identity will remain "confidential."
Photo: Osaka University
Photo: Osaka University
Here's Geminoid F meeting Geminoid HI-1.
Photo: Osaka University and ATR Intelligent Robotics and Communication Laboratories
Photo: Osaka University and ATR Intelligent Robotics and Communication Laboratories
This one below shows the woman teleoperating the android. A vision system captures her mouth and head movements, reproducing those movements on the android. The woman can also use the mouse to activate certain behaviors.
Photo: Osaka University
So tell us: Was Ishiguro able to leap over the abyss of the uncanny valley?
