Freaked-out viewers are hoping the engineers quit while they’re a head.
Robots are looking far less robotic as time goes on. Now, a Chinese robotics company is alarming viewers after unveiling the head of a humanoid automaton with hyperrealistic features and facial expressions, as seen in a dystopian YouTube clip.
The noggin was created by AheadForm, whose goal is “integrating cutting-edge AI and humanoid robotics technologies into the field of service robots, creating humanoid robots with highly interactive capabilities and realistic, lifelike appearances.”
In the eerie clip, the disembodied head can be seen looking around and blinking like something out of the apocalyptic sci-fi thrillers “I,Robot” or “Robocop.”
The cranial creation, which is an “Only Head” version of AheadForm Origin M1, was reportedly “designed for research, interaction, and high-end display scenarios,” per the clip’s description.
Its expressive abilities are the result of “25 micro motors” embedded under the skin while cameras inside the pupils provide visual perception,” and “built-in microphones and speakers support real-time audio interaction.”
Despite seeming like one component of a robot body, this is not an unfinished product, per the creators.
“The head module can be mounted on various bases or integrated into larger robotic systems, making it an ideal platform for emotion-driven AI studies, human–robot interaction research, and character-based installations,” they write.
Viewers, on the other hand, had mixed feelings about the “Frankenstein”-like creation, with one unsettled observer exclaiming, “Finally climbing up the other side of uncanny valley.”
“Making a robot more human-looking isn’t making it more approachable,” said another. “That just makes it more disturbing.”
A third wrote, “Great, man-made horrors beyond my comprehension.”
However, some thought this marked a major milestone in the progression of naturalistic-looking automatons.
“Finally, an update to that Ameca face we’ve seen for years,” exclaimed one, referencing Engineered Arts’ now-famous humanoid bot, who is known for her lifelike expressions and proficiency in a variety of languages.
“And I thought they could never make that skin look real. This is crazy,” praised another.
As of yet, the robot is not currently available for commercial sale, and AheadForm did not provide any additional information about the product.
This isn’t the first lifelike robot to have apocalypticists heading for the hills.
In February, Clone Robotics uploaded a video showcasing the “Protoclone,” an eerily realistic humanoid robot that’s purported to be the “world’s first bipedal, musculoskeletal android.”
While the versatile bot is programmed to complete helpful tasks ranging from food preparation to cleaning and conversation, skeptical viewers deemed the Frankenstein-esque creation “dystopian” and “terrifying.”
