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Science & Technology

Today's androids aren't realistic enough

By T.K. Randall
November 29, 2016 · Comment icon 21 comments

It's pretty easy to tell that this is a robot. Image Credit: YouTube / Hanson Robotics
It takes the average person only 0.25 seconds to tell that an android is not an actual human being.
Creating robots that can walk, talk and perform complex tasks is one thing, but making them physically indistinguishable from humans is something that won't be happening for a long time.

The term 'uncanny valley' is typically used to describe a humanoid robot that looks 'not quite right' and this is likely down to our brain's ability to distinguish an actual person from a fake one.

In a recent study, researchers at UC Berkeley conducted an experiment to determine how quickly our brains are able to make this determination.
68 healthy adult volunteers were shown a quick succession of images of things ranging from inanimate objects to actual people and were then asked to rate how lifelike each of them was.

The results indicated that the brain could tell what was real or not within one quarter of a second.

"This unique visual mechanism allows us to perceive what's really alive and what's simulated in just 250 milliseconds," said lead author Allison Yamanashi Leib.

In other words - it's going to take more than a dodgy rubber face for a robot to fool a human.

Source: Tech Radar | Comments (21)




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Recent comments on this story
Comment icon #12 Posted by White Unicorn 7 years ago
I've seen some pretty convincing and really expensive baby dolls for collectors with more human like skin! I really don't think that the robot makers want to mass produce something too life like to tell the difference.
Comment icon #13 Posted by Sundew 7 years ago
Are those natural or silicone? Just kidding! 
Comment icon #14 Posted by fresno1011 7 years ago
Why are people even worried about a robot being lifelike? Unless this is some sci fi thing where the robot is sentient (which I'm pretty sure we're still a long way away from) I don't think we need to make a robot lifelike, when we can have it be functional. Yes, I'm reiterating what other people are saying here a bit, but it's true.
Comment icon #15 Posted by Thorvir Hrothgaard 7 years ago
Because it's hard to keep aroused when the robot playmate someone is getting amorous with looks more like Bender Bending Rodriguez and less like Scarlett Johansson.
Comment icon #16 Posted by highdesert50 7 years ago
There is a chasm that separates modeling the image and modeling the essence of a human. It is that which makes great art so powerfully compelling.
Comment icon #17 Posted by Korrelan 7 years ago
We didn't make planes look like birds, or cars look like horses... I just don't get why bots have to look human lol.
Comment icon #18 Posted by paperdyer 7 years ago
Why stop there.  Send it to the corner store to pick up more when you run out.
Comment icon #19 Posted by paperdyer 7 years ago
But remember, we tried.  Just didn't work.
Comment icon #20 Posted by paperdyer 7 years ago
Maybe not.  If so there wouldn't be a market for the inflatable girlfriend with life-like-----------
Comment icon #21 Posted by Parsec 7 years ago
Because some would "ride" them in a different way. 


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