Proto-2 humanoid robot auditions for Thunderbirds 2.0
By Donald Melanson 
posted January 30th 2010 6:50PM
posted January 30th 2010 6:50PM
While there are some robots like ASIMO still keeping it real with their classic robot looks, it seems that humanoid bots these days are increasingly falling into one of two categories: creepy and more creepy. Making no attempt to alter that trend are the researchers from Advanced Robotic Systems Laboratories (or ARSL), who are now showing off their new Proto-2 robot -- and apparently holding it against its will. Designed partly to aid in the study of human-robot interaction, Proto-2 packs an "expressive face" complete with moving, Peter Gallagher-esque eyebrows, and it apparently has a more natural walking gait than many other humanoid bots thanks to a new dynamic toe-joint that ARSL developed. Unfortunately, there's no video of it in action available just yet, but you can check out plenty more pics, and even an interview with its creator by hitting up the links below.
Great. Ninja robots. We're screwed.
@m1lt0n Every robot we can come up with is creepy as hell. It all started with the Furby..
S&M sex robot.
It's Jason, run!
Couple of comestic changes and it will be complete... "muhaha!"...
http://media.ebaumsworld.com/mediaFiles/picture/642029/80511907.jpg
Couple of cosmetic changes and it will be complete... "muhaha!"...
http://media.ebaumsworld.com/mediaFiles/picture/642029/80511907.jpg
@bigsofty Thank you for the nightmares lol
Darn it. I thought you were serious about thunderbirds 2.0... I loved that show.
@Dshark Yo, your avatar is kick ass :)
Is that thing wearing an iPad. $$$ for engadget this post counts toward your total.
Well what do you expect to get from researches working at ARSE...
oh wait it's ARSL...
@kLid
Lol Q&A session with "Timothy Payne" Executive Director of ARSL
I see why he works there... haha
Fuckin' evil kid! Look at its face!
* ducks and covers *
@loocas
Keep in mind the face design is pretty easy to change, it's the body that is difficult to redesign.
Great, now we're making robots scary to begin with! Can you imagine the terrors they'll imagine and create once they gain self-awareness?
Team America 2: Al-Qaeda Strikes Back.
The look on it's face... It wants to eat our souls.
@hemmy
"its"
bad hemmy. bad hemmy.
chucky meets jason
Looks like a scene from "Se7en"
What about building robots that are useful for humans, why do we want human like robots?
@PurpleLizzard
Expressive humanoid robots are helpful for studying a number of important topics, including social development in children with autism. Think about the advances in prostheses that might come about once we can replicate human walking perfectly. Think about the prostheses for arms and hands, as well. Advances in humanoid robots could lead to such devices. Humanoid robots can go where people can go. Other types of robots can't necessarily do that. Meanwhile, any breakthroughs in computer vision, such as object recognition or navigation, are applicable to other types of robots as well.
@Robotbling Mmm. I agree, I didnt knew that.
Sick
It looks like a 1940's Kamikaze pilot on crack.
with a little work we could make a real megaman.
iJigsaw