Wednesday 18 March 2009

Artificial Albert

You've probably seen countless clips of robotic faces. They've got better over the years but to my mind have never quite shaken off that disappointing Disney World animatronics-style tackiness. Until I saw the clip on the link below.

At first it's just another unconvincing (if high-quality) rubber-faced bag of servos. But keep watching... something changes when Mr E is given a robot body that moves freely and independently. Perhaps it is because when there is more motion to occupy one's focus, the facial scrutiny is less intense and we look more at the whole.. err entity? Whatever, the effect for me is eerie and I couldn't suppress the notion that I was taking a glimpse into the future.

Click AE for the shape of physicists to come...

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow ... that was quite eerie.

Hmm. The time when I can buy my own Data might be a little closer.

Anonymous said...

I've put down a deposit for Chicky Babe 7.3!

Somnambulist said...

@Jay - I can see the advantages of having Data around the house.. to help with day ta day errands. (sorry)

@laog - I think they made need to do a little work below the neck.

Daddy Papersurfer said...

I want a version made of Uma Thurman ....... no particular reason

Somnambulist said...

@DP - Very well, I'm knocking one up for you in the garage...

70steen said...

how strange someone ate my comment??
It was something to do with AE looking far better and being more animated than most of my colleagues !!

Anonymous said...

Re: Daddy Papersurfer

Mr. Somnambulist

I have alerted The News Of The World that you "knocked up" Uma Thurman in your garage.

70steen said...

could I have space in your garage and knock up a Donny and wait for the reciprocation .. just askin' of course??

Anonymous said...

You clearly have too much idle time on your hands, surfing the interweb for this stuff.
Come and cover for TW and trade for a week, I promise you'll be able to do even less work, and you'll have full eBay and youtube access.
You might even be able to fix some of our systems (in a kind of 'messed up system meets renowned IT-destroyer' way... Two negatives will make it all ok again right??).

Somnambulist said...

@70s - Your first post probably got frazzled as it neared my vicinity.

As for your second one, not a problem. I'll clear a space for Donny next to Angelina v2.0. (don't ask about v1.0)

@laog - You know what I mean ;-)

@UDH Boy - according to the man himself, time is relative (or something). I'd love to come for a week, if only to see what the current electical virus I am carrying does to the most robust (I'm under contract) IT infrastructure known to mankind. Unfortunately, my passport now evaporates within 20 miles of your borders.

How's the new motor?