Kobian Views
Named KOBIAN, the android integrates features of two previously developed robots -- the WABIAN-2 bipedal humanoid and the WE-4RII emotion expression humanoid -- into a bipedal machine that can walk around, perceive its environment, perform physical tasks, and express a range of emotions. The robot also features a new double-jointed neck that helps it achieve more expressive postures.
KOBIAN can express seven different feelings, including delight, surprise, sadness and dislike. In addition to assuming different poses to match the mood, the emotional humanoid uses motors in its face to move its lips, eyelids and eyebrows into various positions. To express delight, for example, the robot lifts its soft rubbery hands over its head and opens its eyes and mouth wide.
The Kobian humanoid robot looks very smart? Is it really so? Hope it is... it's nice to see robots imitating our body and limbs movements, however, it's even nicer to see that they can imitate our gestures and voice. I'd very highly appreciate you to send me some comprehensive material about Kobian, either in paper and on CD or DVD format to my home address at your soonest opportunity. I've studied some aspects about robotics while tak ing my systems analysis college course but never suspected that hunanoids had reached a motion and gesture perfectionism of the quality that your vids show.
There have been a variety of robots that emulate emotional expression through their facial features. Tmsuk has now created a humanoid robot that puts its whole body into the act, emoting like a silent film actor. KOBIAN is a descendant of the WABIAN-2R research humanoid and the WE-4R robot head, developed at the Takanishi Laboratory. The video above shows KOBIAN cycling through a variety of stock emotional expressions. Tmsuk claims the robot's postural emoting will make it better able to interact with humans. At least if the humans involved enjoy interacting with an emo robot. I think a future in stage performance may be more likely. For photos see the Japanese robot watch blog.
Kobian Images
