Kansei makes a comeback with reactive facial expressions

Quite a lot has transpired in the android universe in the past two years, and it's fairly safe to say that Kansei has made a few solid strides during that time as well. A Japanese research team has purportedly crafted a working prototype that can "pull up to 36 different facial expressions based on a program which creates word associations from a self-updating online database of 500,000 keywords." According to a professor at Meiji University's School of Science and Technology, the idea of the project is to "create a flow of consciousness in robots so that they can make the relevant facial expressions," and the device relies on 19 movable parts and a silicon face mask in order to work its magic. Developers also noted that speech abilities should be added within a few years, and while we doubt you had to guess, it's quite likely that fully developed Kanseis will one day roam nursing homes as Japan seeks to care for its quickly growing geriatric set.

[TJ @ Jun 6th 2007 8:18AM]

I just woke up and went to engadget.com, damn the pic freaked me out.

[dluna33 @ Jun 6th 2007 8:23AM]

That's the same face I made when I had a psycho ex-gf tell me she loved me too lol.

[Terry @ Jun 6th 2007 8:24AM]

so i guess this is what love looks like? LMAO

[NHAnimator @ Jun 6th 2007 8:30AM]

"the idea of the project is to 'create a flow of consciousness in robots so that they can make the relevant facial expressions'"

You know, I don't think I want that.

[ambivalent @ Jun 6th 2007 8:44AM]

I knew a guy who looked just like that... I still get nightmares...

[jeff @ Jun 6th 2007 8:49AM]

i think for most of the people the face of marylin manson is less shocking than this one...

[Grey Acumen @ Jun 6th 2007 8:53AM]

"Not the face! You'll cut your knuckles on my braces!"

Seriously, he looks like someone about to get beaten up for their lunch money.

Still, it's better than robo-retarded-seal baby (http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/03/cb2-child-robot-is-possibly-the-most-disturbing-machine-ever-bui/), but would it kill them to invest in an eyelid or two? (preferably two, unless they make a pirate robot)

[Scooter @ Jun 6th 2007 5:44PM]

don't you mean Paro, the robot seal?

http://www.aist.go.jp/aist_e/latest_research/2004/20041208_2/20041208_2.html

[Pauly @ Jun 6th 2007 8:59AM]

Love stinks - yeah, yeah.....

[Brian Paul Ehni @ Jun 6th 2007 9:05AM]

Looks like Wallace from "Wallace & Grommet"

[Josurr @ Jun 6th 2007 9:32AM]

This reminds me of the creepy puppet from the music video for Interpol's Evil track.

[carbonfree @ Jun 6th 2007 9:56AM]

Won't be long until we get ourselves some Persecoms [/end Chobits reference]

[Dax @ Jun 6th 2007 10:13AM]

Thats one fugly robot!!

[tiuk @ Jun 6th 2007 10:16AM]

Why are people researching this? For the love of god, make it stop.

[Corporal Hicks @ Jun 6th 2007 10:40AM]

This is kind of old school, but does anyone remember the video to Herbie Hancock's "Rockit"?

This 'droid sort of reminds me of one of the mannequin-like robots in that video.

That video creeped me out when I was a kid, and now (unfortunately) so does this.

Rrrroock it......

[Henry @ Jun 6th 2007 10:48AM]

The song Love? by Strapping Young Lad comes to mind.

[saboola @ Jun 6th 2007 10:53AM]

So I take it that that is supposed to be the facial expression for "love"? I think they mixed it up with the facial expression for "Oops I Crapped My Pants"

[graham @ Jun 6th 2007 12:20PM]

and with the look of a baby that just passed gas the T1 said "I'll be back"

[Mike @ Jun 6th 2007 12:37PM]

Great, now they're teaching that freaky lookin thing to hate America.

[Joe @ Jun 6th 2007 1:18PM]

For some reason, this isn't quite as creepy as the child robot. I think it's because this robots face has more imperfections.

But why do we need robots like this anyway? It seems like it's life imitating art imitating life; we are just trying to prove that we can do the things we see in sci-fi movies. We see all sorts of timetables for the advancements of robotic technology, but nothing referencing the actual implementation or need for realistic humanoid robots. As the technology gets more real, we need a plan for where to take it. Now it seems like we are just stumbling towards advancement and assuming that when we get there, we'll find a use for humanoid robots. I think it should strictly be a necessity or desire which drives a technology, not the other way around.

[silvarga @ Jun 6th 2007 4:41PM]

Yep, That's just what I needed, an Emo Phillips droid. I'm gonna put it in a rocking chair in the corner of my bedroom. This EmoDroid is gonna help me get hella laid, HELLA!

Plus, I'll be a total chick magnet ridin' wit him in the carpool lane...

Hells Yeah.

[Scooter @ Jun 6th 2007 5:43PM]

made my day!

[Grey Acumen @ Jun 6th 2007 5:47PM]

Seriously, just watch the video clip to the link and you'll understand what I mean.

[Looozer @ Jun 7th 2007 12:01AM]

Is it my imagination or does that thing look just ever so slightly like Flava Flav?

[Rich Beischer @ Jun 7th 2007 8:19AM]

DEATH TO BILL AND TED!!!