Kansei, a robot face capable of 36 expressions that vary according to emotional interpretations of words it hears, is the latest achievement to emerge from a Meiji University research lab working to develop conscious and self-aware robots. When Kansei hears a word, it uses software to access a database of 500,000 keywords, create word associations and determine an emotion -- ranging from happiness to sadness, anger and fear -- which is expressed by a system of 19 actuators under its silicone skin.
"What we are trying to do here is to create a flow of consciousness in robots so that they can make the relevant facial expressions," said project leader Junichi Takeno, a professor at Meiji University. "I believe that's going to be a key to improving communication between humans and robots."
Check out the video to see how Kansei reacts to the word "president."
Link: Reuters video
[Source: Yahoo!]
Hunty
It's kind of creepy that almost all of these Japanese videos about robots end with "and the creators hope that they'll some day provide companionship for the elderly in nursing homes".
[]Doctor Nought
No doubt, the robot as companion and caregiver sounds creepy. But at least they're not developing them for military purposes. Ask yourself, would you get the same 'creepy' feeling if the engineers said they created the robot to keep us safe from terrorism by tracking down and killing people hiding in the desert? To me, that's creepier.
It would be nice though if they could just come out and say: 'we made the robot because it's fucking cool!'
[]roid
this video made me laugh so much, the smile at the end put me into hysterics
[]Mac
Oh look, Al Reuters reports that a bunch of university students built a dictionary-cross-reference that produces a negative reaction to associations with President Bush. How surprising. I wonder what sort of emotional response it displays when faced with the prospect of paying for it's own national defense.
[]La Meme Hos
Speaking of comeuppances: Because Bush has involved the world in an unnecessary war, your country is paying for his homicidal meddling with global ostracism -- financially and otherwise. With his so-called war on terror, Bush turned American tourists into objects of hatred and jeopardized their safety. Lovely, to have a President who cares so much about his citizenry. Especially when, in the immediate wake of 9/11, the world was on his side.
That robot is fascinating, but it looks a tad haggard (hence the rest home application).
[]Jasper
Presidend...ow shit, president. Couldn't they just redo that take haha
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