Japanese develop 'female' android

[The Great Deceiver]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4714135.stm



<snip>

Japanese scientists have unveiled the most human-looking robot yet devised - a "female" android called Repliee Q1.

She has flexible silicone for skin rather than hard plastic, and a number of sensors and motors to allow her to turn and react in a human-like manner.


--------------------------

Wonder why they developed a female. It's right out of a Simpson's episode; a bunch of nerdy, male scientists inventing a female "companion". :rofl:

Still, it's pretty darned kewl.

[smirkymonkey]

1. Probably because real Japanese women won't have anything

to do with them.

[barb162]

18. I have read things where they go on sex vacations

and more than once

Well, now they wont have to waste the air fare

[Blue_Tires]

34. lol

interesting, and yet creepy (i wonder if it is anatomically correct?)

looks like Blade Runner and all those other sci-fi stories weren't just fiction

[On the Road]

2. She Looks Remarkably Like

a Stepford wife (from the original version, at least).

[GreenPartyVoter]

24. She's pretty, though

[formerrepuke]

3. Actual Stepford Wives: now its just a matter of time.

[bvar22]

4. "The early ones had rubber skin.

We could spot the easily."

[YOY]

5. That's just creepy and cool at the same time!

[xilet]

6. $40,000

And $40,000 to finish my robot.
My girl robot.

This is going to be the best prom ever.

[The Great Deceiver]

8. LMAO!!

that's exactly what I thought when I first saw the guy staring at his "creation". :rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:


Hilarious ad, that one is.


Just LOOK at his FACE!!

[sui generis]

15. the sooner the better

So let us rejoice,
While we are young.
After happy youth
After annoying old age
The earth will have us. - great quote

Sex and War, the two great technological imperatives. I'll take sex droids over soldier droids any day.

[no name no slogan]

23. WTF is up with THOSE HANDS???

Cripes they look like bear paws! I don't know about youse guys, but I wouldn't want one of those touching me :scared:

[Blue_Tires]

33. gloves, i think n/t

[pinniped]

7. Most likely the freepcreeps won't be able to afford it.

Too bad for them.

Edit: After seeing the price, there's no way in hell they can afford it.

[tocqueville]

9. Read here the previous post

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=228&topic_id=9627&mesg_id=9627

[The Great Deceiver]

13. woops n/t

[still_one]

10. Finally something useful

[PurityOfEssence]

11. Shades of "Chobits"

Time marches on.

[IA_Seth]

12. She's got some man-hands....

And why does it matter what "sex" the robot is? It kind of creeps me out thinkin of an answer.

[slackmaster]

14. Not a Simpsons episode...

More like The Twilight Zone.

Specifically episode #7, The Lonely. 1959 starring Jack Warden and Jean Marsh (as Alicia the android woman).

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

35. I can't remember now... did he make the choice to stay on the prison

planet with the android?

[barb162]

16. I have heard that the Japanese are very into robots

[Roland99]

17. [Butthead voice on]

Hey, bay-beh


Come to Butthead.

[Deja Q]

19. The Japansese guy looks kinda like Mike Nesmith... but aren't humans more

fun to, uh, play with?

[dhinojosa]

20. Weird Science!!!!!

nt

[pinniped]

21. This must be what that POS vp is.

Only they made him the dummy model which only knows a couple lines.

[Alcibiades]

22. Love Doll

OK there's no doubt what market they are going after:

"Repliee Q1 can interact with people. It can respond to people touching it. It's very satisfying, although we obviously have a long way to go yet."

On "passing" for human:

"An android could get away with it for a short time, 5-10 seconds. However, if we carefully select the situation, we could extend that, to perhaps 10 minutes," he said.

I only need 4 or 5!

[Beetwasher]

25. What Makes Her Really Authentic Is Her Subroutine For

Nagging...(JUST KIDDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) :evilgrin:

[Drifter]

26. Does that mean Artificial Rhonda ...

will talk back. Why not just get a real women then.

Cheers
Drifter

[Taverner]

27. Awesome!

Rouge City here we COME (or is it cum?)

[edbermac]

28. Do those things menstruate?

:yoiks:

[LiberalEsto]

29. The US beat them to it!

Just look at Laura Bush!

[central scrutinizer]

30. as Data the android said to Tasha Yar in the heat of the moment

"I'm fully functional" <wink, wink, nudge, nudge>

[Patty Diana]

31. Call me HAL: Japan looks to robots for elderly care

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/tech_japan_robots_dc;_ylt=Ai91kt8yJ7P2A.zDt213RrHsbr8F;_ylu=X3oDMTA4b3FrcXQ0BHNlYwMxNjkz This is the kind of progress you get when fascists fundies aren't ruling your country. <snip> TOKYO (Reuters) - They won't be leaping tall buildings in a single bound, but Japan's growing number of elderly may someday have a new lease on life that allows them to care for themselves -- and maybe even pump a little iron.

<snip> As the country's population ages rapidly and its workforce shrinks, care workers may be hard to come by, so researchers are trying to develop the ultimate personal care givers: robots.

"Unlike the United States or Europe, Japan is reluctant to allow in cheap foreign laborers," said Takashi Gomi, president of Canada-based Applied AI Systems Inc., whose company has developed a prototype of an "intelligent" wheelchair that can move around on its own and sense obstacles to avoid them.

_____more________

[Ariana Celeste]

32. That is just too awesome.

And at the same time... a little creepy.

[anarch]

36. "It can respond to people touching it. It's very satisfying."

oh my.

[neuvocat]

37. I would go ahead and buy one

but then I would be afraid that she would be too good for me.

[qnr]

38. Too many Terminator/Robocop movies - probably think it's less

threatening looking like a female. Yes, I know there are many instances of threatening female cyborgs/androids/whatever - Terminator, Blade Runner, etc., but I'd bet that's part of the reasoning.