Japanese Build Robot Baby
A week ago, Japanese researcher unveiled a robot that acts like a human child, reacting to touch, babbling like a toddler, squirming on the floor and even taking a few steps if encouraged. We’ve got a video of the “child” in action below. Try not to freak out.
Called the CB2 — Child Robot with Biometric Body — this robot is supposed to be designed to mimic a one- or two-year-old, even though it’s a pretty large replica (check out how tall it looks when it stands) and doesn’t speak any real words.
But it will react to touch. If you touch the robot on the shoulders, it will blink as if surprised, stop moving and turn towards the person who touched it. Honestly, it’s pretty eerie. It will also try to grab a toy if you dangle one in front of it.
How does all of that happen? Well, the CB2 has 50+ air cylinders that serve as muscles, cameras for eyes, microphones for ears and almost 200 tactile sensors in its silicone skin.
Researchers at the Japanese Science and Technology Agency in Osaka plan to attempt improving the body functions of the CB2 and hope to write software to allow it to walk and talk like a three-year-old.
