Geminoid F: More Video and Photos of the Female Android

Geminoid F, the female android recently unveiled by Hiroshi Ishiguro, a roboticist at Osaka University and ATRfamous 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.

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.

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.

The android is a copy of a woman in her twenties. Ishiguro told me that her identity will remain "confidential."

Here's Geminoid F meeting Geminoid HI-1.

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.

So tell us: Was Ishiguro able to leap over the abyss of the uncanny valley?