Video: Jules the robot makes convincing argument to destroy humanity

Besides rarely showering, Robotic engineers and researchers also possess a peculiar sense of humor. Trip with us through the uncanny valley as we take a look at the animatronic head developed by David Hanson. Software, developed by the University of Bristol with some help by a professional animator, controls 34 tiny servo motors to mimic facial expressions picked up by Jules' camera. Watch Jules make an ecologically sound case to "destroy humanity" in the video after the break. Indeed, if only Maggie was still in power.

[SonniesEdge @ Oct 29th 2008 7:52AM]

Weird - the robot in the video looks like James Spader...

[Blackstar @ Oct 29th 2008 9:41AM]

But his suggestion is sound. I say start by wiping out England. Only thing worse than snotty limeys, is snotty limey robots.

[Spartacus @ Oct 29th 2008 1:58PM]

Weirder; it looks just like my neighbor. Weirder still; apparently my neighbor looks like James Spader.

[Tadas Simokaitis @ Oct 29th 2008 8:00AM]

Hmmm... Do I look bothered?

[daniel @ Oct 29th 2008 8:02AM]

Ook he looks and sounds like a real-life Oblivion character.

[Shinigami @ Oct 29th 2008 8:06AM]

Oblivion characters knew how to look at the one they talk to...

[Muhammad-Oli @ Oct 29th 2008 8:03AM]

I swear that guy is wearing a wig...

[Shinigami @ Oct 29th 2008 8:05AM]

If you destroy humanity, who will thank you for saving the world? Cause the world doesn't really care...

[Flashpoint @ Oct 29th 2008 8:10AM]

Why is it that robots and cyborgs and computer programs have British accents?

The way I see it, Robots are more likely to have Indian accents or Chinese accents considering how fast America and the UK are losing technology jobs to outsourcing.

[Patriks7 @ Oct 29th 2008 9:03AM]

Well I find the british accent really awesome..
One of my teachers is british with a really awesome accent.. its his accent that makes me want to go to the classes on some days :p

[Tim Brown @ Oct 29th 2008 8:12AM]

1) Bristol Uni builds robotic head
2) The Skynet Funding Bill is passed. The system goes on-line August 4th, 1997. Human decisions are removed from strategic defense. Skynet begins to learn at a geometric rate. It becomes self-aware at 2:14 a.m. Eastern time, August 29th. In a panic, they try to pull the plug.
3) Meatsacks = energy
4) ???
5) Our Robot Overlords profit

[Will H. @ Oct 29th 2008 8:18AM]

Good effort.

[Scotty Doo @ Oct 29th 2008 8:28AM]

I don't mind being a meat powered battery as long as i get to fly like Neo and eat tasty steaks.

[Wallaby @ Dec 11th 2008 1:37AM]

soylent steaks?

[Scotty Doo @ Oct 29th 2008 8:26AM]

That robot will never make any friends though...

[chrisp @ Oct 29th 2008 8:49AM]

DAMMIT where the heck is my sex robot? I don't think I can wait anymore! Human females are just too damn complex and illogical :(

[Doodad Pro @ Oct 29th 2008 9:38AM]

She's been here all along: http://www.realdolls.com

[Zorque @ Oct 29th 2008 9:10AM]

The lip movements don't match the speech very well, but it's really impressive nonetheless.

[Grey Acumen @ Oct 29th 2008 9:12PM]

It might be more impressive if it didn't look like it was displaying at some 5 frames per second.

[-Tj- @ Oct 29th 2008 9:11AM]

"All your face are belong to us."

O_o

[mcg @ Oct 29th 2008 10:05AM]

Disney's animatronics looked this convincing about 50 years ago. Which is to say, they weren't, and neither is this. I'm beginning to think that scientists who work on these things, and on those Eliza clones that participated in the Turing contest, need to actually get out and meet people. Seems they've forgotten what real conversation and human expression is like...

[monteb @ Oct 29th 2008 10:26AM]

What mcg said - I hate to hate on it but it's worse than some decades-old animatronics (let alone some of the really creepy stuff out of Japan).

[Wwhat @ Oct 29th 2008 10:35AM]

The vid reminds me of that robot crewmember in alien, the untrustworthy one.

[Maté @ Oct 29th 2008 10:38AM]

Don't you love technology, when it's not trying to destroy mankind.
Just imagine the accuracy of a computer.

M

[Don Corleone @ Oct 29th 2008 11:10AM]

This reminds me of the Walt Disney exhibits from 40 years ago, less the hate.

[Samu @ Oct 29th 2008 11:10AM]

That woman's face in the monitor is going to give me nightmares...

[Alex R @ Oct 29th 2008 11:13AM]

It's unfortunate that most of you guys won't understand half of the jokes that were in the video :P

[deathproof1380 @ Oct 29th 2008 12:03PM]

not any better than the animatronics at disney...try harder and stop making the eyes constantly searching around like it's on an acid trip.

[metathuselah @ Oct 29th 2008 12:57PM]

There's too much happening with the face. Lip-sync should have been the primary goal.

[diefldrmas @ Oct 29th 2008 12:58PM]

Well the Cylons had to start somewhere I see why they were not taken seriously at first.

[Hackettman @ Oct 29th 2008 2:09PM]

I dont know how much better this tech is getting.... Compact DEFINITELY but better not really...... Id say 10 years off a real terminator.......

[dmoola @ Oct 29th 2008 2:20PM]

it needs to blink... i kept thinking "blink damnit!" hahaha, made my eyes water

[ZeroCorpse @ Oct 29th 2008 3:34PM]

Stick this head on ASIMO and you'll have a great way to scare old people.

[germs @ Oct 29th 2008 4:08PM]

Im sorry but, is this the best they have
Ive seen this stuff at disney 10 years ago, i thought they would have had a full human scale model by now, walking around
(notice all asimo's are short because they havent solved the balancing issues effectively as yet)
But if this is the best they have...then we dont have to worry about an i-robot or terminator because the technology is no were close
to happening.

[Troels C @ Oct 29th 2008 7:19PM]

Why do robot makers always exaggerate facial expressions? What they have here could look much more real, if they have turned it down a nodge...

[Dr. Deedah @ Oct 30th 2008 5:30AM]

Hanson made this walking Einstein: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vx35zMyFJ94.
Compare these robots' facial expressions with old-school animatronics, and you'll see a big difference. Old animatronics had almost no facial expressions; our imagination may think they did, but they didn't.

[Sharky @ Oct 30th 2008 3:15PM]

Lipsync?
Anyone?

[Blade Genexis @ Oct 31st 2008 12:16PM]

I knew it! The machines are coming... Judgment Day is inevitable.

-Blade Genexis