Robots have facial expressions like humans

Robotics experts from Munich (Germany) have collaborated with Japanese scientists to develop an ingenious technique to create robots with human faces.

>>>Video: Robot has an expression like human face

By using a projector to project light beams, determine the 3D image of the face on the back of the plastic mask, and a computer to control the voice as well as facial expressions . The researchers succeeded in creating Mask-bot, the plastic head resembling the face of a human.

Mask-bot can make simple conversations. For example, when TS. Takaaki Kuratate said 'rainbow' , Mask-bot blinks his eyes and responds with a surprisingly detailed answer to the topic: 'When the light passes through rain drops in the air, it will be refracted, as if light passes through a prism and forms a rainbow. In other words, rainbows are the dispersion of light from the Sun when refracted and reflected through raindrops'.

Particularly, while speaking, Mask-bot also moved its head and raised the eyebrows, expressing its expressive and understanding features on the face very impressively.

Robots with faces like humans, can express,
reveal all emotional state through facial expressions.

Professor Gordon Cheng, head of the Institute of Cognitive Systems (ICS) at the Technische Universität München, has made many inventions during the creation of Mask-bot, predicting that this model will affect the way in which we communicate with robots in the future. This is a new generation robot prototype, with the same face and way of talking and communication.

Although today, scientists are developing many 3D applications, but Mask-bot can display realistic 3D images on a transparent mask, and can change the face as required. By using a rear projector, scientists have created very practical features of the robot mask, which can be viewed from many different angles.

'So, you can use a mask for both men and women, to create a realistic copy, can sit and talk to you in a conference,' Takaaki Kuratate said.

New algorithms and programs on computer-controlled systems will allow accurate conversions, balance the usual image for a 3D mask, and provide facial expressions and voices. .

To copy facial expressions, Takaaki Kuratate has developed a smart communication tool, an integrated system in a computer, that will filter moving data and select appropriate facial expressions. with a specific sound, called monophonic. Emotional synthesis software provides visible nuances, for example, when happy, sad or angry.

Mask-bot can copy the recorded conversation content via the keyboard in English, Japanese and German. Another system will convert the text into audio signals, suitable for each voice as well as the atmosphere and nature of the conversation. However, not Mask-bot can understand every word, but it only listens and responds appropriately to a fixed programmed sequence.

The cost for this prototype is about 3,000 EURO. Scientists are still working on a second prototype, Mask-bot 2, to be able to incorporate it, allowing the robot to listen and understand people, responding to a shortest way.