2021 is almost over, which means we’re now pretty comfortable making assertions about the year as a whole. For example: A “humanoid robot AI platform” called Ameca is definitely our late entry winner for “Most Horrifying Robot We’ve Witnessed This Calendar Year.”
The above video shows why we’re confident enough to call the competition even with a few weeks left in December. Ameca, which was created by a UK company called Engineered Arts, is described by its Frankensteinian makers as “the world’s most advanced human shaped robot representing the forefront of human-robotics technology.”
It definitely seems to earn that distinction through a demonstration that sees the soulless husk rotating its shoulder before opening its eyes in shock, blinking furiously, then examining its own hands as if horrified by the fact of its own existence. At the end of these movements, it smiles eerily, suddenly pleased by the power it possesses.
Ameca is called “the perfect humanoid robot platform for human-robot interaction,” runs AI and machine learning software, and is based on Engineered Arts’ Mesmer robots, which, if you’re curious, sometimes look like this.
On its website, Engineered Arts says its robots are meant for “science centers, theme parks, and businesses looking to attract a crowd.” It also claims that its “robots make for an experience that visitors, delegates, and audiences will never forget.” Ameca’s twisting face and piercing eyes are a pretty good argument for the truth of this statement.
While Boston Dynamics is still the frontrunner for our ongoing “Most Likely To Create The Robot That Actually Murders You” award, the debut of Ameca makes Engineered Arts a compelling runner-up for that distinction. Unless, of course, Ameca goes on to find love with that chattering dental robot and ends up distracted enough by a new relationship that it forgets to kill our entire species.
[via Nerdist]
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