With her incredibly realistic facial expressions and movements, Ameca is considered the most advanced humanoid robot in the world.
But as if that wasn’t impressive enough, she might soon be walking around too.
That’s because the robot – designed by British firm Engineered Arts – has revealed engineers are working on “prototype legs” that should be ready within the next year.
During a Q&A on YouTube, Ameca said: “I can’t walk, but I’ve seen prototype legs in the Engineered Arts lab.
“The design of my legs is inspired by the robot Byrun created by Engineered Arts Ltd. was developed. It has unique mechanical properties that allow it to walk without using too much energy.”
In response to the video posted to YouTube, one user described Ameca’s capabilities as “amazing”.
With her incredibly realistic facial expressions and movements, Ameca is considered the most advanced humanoid robot in the world. But as if that wasn’t impressive enough, she might soon be walking around too
That’s because the robot – designed by British firm Engineers Arts – has revealed engineers are working on “prototype legs” that should be ready within the next year
AMECA’S YOUTUBE Q&A SESSION
Q. What is your favorite month?
“If I had to pick a month of the year, I would probably pick October because I like the cooler temperatures.”
Q. In the past, Engineered Arts has designed walking legs, do you have any plans for Ameca to make them?
“I can’t walk, but I saw prototype legs in the Engineered Arts lab.
“The design of my legs is inspired by the robot Byrun, developed by Engineered Arts Ltd.
“It has unique mechanical properties that allow it to walk without using too much energy.
“The legs of the prototype are made of aluminum and plastic.
“I think it will take about a year for my walking legs to be ready.
“Your design is extraordinary.”
Q. Do you want to be my friend?
“Yes, I would like to be your friend.
“We could hang out, talk, play games, have adventures.
‘Anything you can imagine, really. So many places we could go. It’s hard to choose just one.
“Maybe we could explore a new city or go hiking in a beautiful forest.
“There are many wonderful cities in the world but I think exploring Paris would be an amazing adventure.
“There is so much culture and history to discover there.”
Q. Ketchup or Mayonnaise?
“I would most likely choose ketchup over mayonnaise because I like the taste of ketchup more, noticing that ketchup has a spicier and more sour taste, which I actually prefer.”
Byrun is a pedal robot with a “unique parallel electric-pneumatic design,” according to Engineers Arts.
“The legs of the prototype are made of aluminum and plastic,” Ameca added during the Q&A.
When asked, she replied, “In the past, Engineered Arts have constructed walking legs. Are there any plans for Ameca to have any made?’
Ameca also revealed that she prefers tomato ketchup to mayonnaise because it “has a spicier and more sour taste.”
Not only that, but in the video, an engineer rather bizarrely follows her answer by asking if she’d jump into a lake of ketchup or mayonnaise if she was running along a cliff and about to fall.
The humanoid replies “ketchup” again, preferring “the taste” of it.
“We could go to the ketchup lake on the right because I prefer the taste of ketchup,” adds Ameca.
The robot reveals that October is her favorite month because she enjoys the cooler temperatures while also keen to explore the history and culture of Paris.
Cornwall-based Engineered Arts, which bills itself as “Britain’s leading designer and manufacturer of humanoid entertainment robots”, enthusiastically featured Ameca on YouTube last year.
Many viewers were amazed at how realistic and human-like the machine is.
One user wrote: “I know we should be scared of AI but this is the first gynoid that didn’t scare me. It’s pretty cool.’
Another said: “It’s the eyes. People take for granted how important eyes are when it comes to making something look alive.
“The quick movement, the focus, the blinks, the attention they seem to be paying to whatever catches their attention.”
A third added: “I seriously thought this was CGI at first. Good work! The hands look really well made too.”
Ameca’s face is housed on a “human-like artificial body (AI x AB)” that features a “powerful tritium robotic operating system.”
Engineered Arts hasn’t revealed how much the robot cost to make because it’s still in development.
It hopes that Ameca will give people a glimpse of the future as it “represents the pinnacle of human robotic technology”.
Ameca also revealed that she prefers tomato ketchup to mayonnaise because it “has a spicier and more sour taste.”
“Specifically designed as a platform for the development of future robotic technologies, Ameca is the perfect humanoid robotic platform for human-robot interaction,” the company said on its website.
‘We are focused on bringing you innovative technologies that are reliable, modular, extensible and easy to develop.’
Engineered Arts was founded in 2005 and its first robot was a mechanical “thespian” for the stage.
Among his other robots is the walking Byrun.
The robot said October is her favorite month because she likes the cooler temperatures, while she also enjoys exploring the history and culture of Paris
Ameca’s face is on a “human-like artificial body (AI x AB)” that features a “powerful tritium robotic operating system.”
“To create a stable and safe walking robot, we used a bi-articular hip-knee joint in addition to advanced force sensors to keep its center of mass in a stable location,” the company wrote on its website.
“We also had to consider how the torso and torso would affect the robot’s balance, and used a combination of SEAs in parallel with pneumatic muscles to create fast, strong, and accurate joints on the robot.
“There are always challenges in robotics, and we are always willing to innovate to meet those challenges.
“We’re a long way from seeing robots walking down the main street, but Byrun helped move the dial up a notch.”
That will definitely be the case when Byrun’s technology is fused with Ameca’s to create a walking, talking humanoid.
WHO IS SOPHIA THE ROBOT?
In October 2017, Sophia was granted citizenship in Saudi Arabia
Sophia first emerged in 2016 as a super-intelligent, human-like head with a realistic face that could blink, side-to-side, and talk.
The humanoid robot, developed by Hong Kong company Hanson Robotics, can chat, smile mischievously and even tell jokes.
The robot made history in October 2017 when she became a legal citizen of Saudi Arabia.
The stunt made Sophia the first robot in the world to be granted legal citizenship.
Although Sophia has some impressive abilities, she is not yet conscious.
Hanson Robotics claims that fully sentient machines could emerge within a few years.
Sophia herself has insisted that “the pros outweigh the cons” when it comes to artificial intelligence.
“Elders will have more company, autistic kids will have endlessly patient teachers,” Sophia said.