14 DAY TRIAL // It seems like just yesterday we were poking fun at the rather poor implementation of human-like walking in robots, but here we are now, ushering in the age of android health and welfare assistants.
Although, technically, it's Toshiba that is ushering in that age, having created the Android you see in the attached photo and video. Yes, that really is an Android. No, we couldn't believe it either at first.
Admittedly, creating a flexible outer layer to act as a skin, and disguising cameras as eyes and everything else, isn't such a big deal with current technology.
But after seeing so many “naked” robots with their skeletons and inner circuitry completely exposed during tests, it's easy to forget that.
There's also the matter of it being financially unsound to spend money on the external wrappings and trappings when you're not sure your robot concept will even get off the ground.
In this case, Toshiba is quite certain that its lifelike android will be successfully marketed at some point in the future, even though the current model is just a prototype.
The particulars of the Toshiba Android
Currently being showcased at CEATEC Japan (October 7-11, 2014), the Android has been given the appearance of a young woman. She has a warm smile and the ability to blink, so you don't need to worry about creepy staring contests with her.
Toshiba hasn't enabled it to do more than mimic simple movements, but intends to provide it with more sophisticated robotic control and locomotion. The algorithm to coordinate the movement of 43 actuators in the android's joints already exists at least.
The company will also implement various sensing technologies (motion sensing is pretty much a given), speech recognition, speech of its own (hopefully not too electronic sounding).
Osaka University, aLab Inc., Shibaura Institute of Technology, and Shonan Institute of Technology helped Toshiba come this far, and they'll help with the rest as well.
To start with, Toshiba sees the android as a receptionist or exhibition attendant. After the next year or two, however, the “woman” should be ready to take upon the role of companion for elderly people with dementia, or in telecounseling. Being capable of using sign language is a plus.
Toshiba's other plans
As far as robots go, we don't really know them, but we suspect that the corporation will at least check out the agriculture, services and entertainment and industrial sectors to see if it's worth making another android for those fields.
