Although it cannot walk yet, the Ameca robot features a highly flexible upper body with smooth hand movements and lively expressions.
Engineered Arts, a company based in the UK, has developed a robot capable of easily displaying human-like expressions. In a short video released on December 2nd, Engineered Arts unveiled its most advanced humanoid robot model, Ameca. Initially, Ameca was designed as a platform to test new technologies.
With advancements in artificial intelligence, machines are learning to perform tasks traditionally done by humans, and even beyond. However, for humans and machines to work together seamlessly, the machines need to occupy a similar space, and humanoid robots are the best foundation for achieving this. Researchers are striving to enhance humanoid robots’ interaction by teaching them non-verbal communication, and Ameca represents a significant milestone in this effort.
In the video, Ameca appears to have just awakened in a laboratory, with people working normally in the background. The robot moves its hands and displays a range of expressions in just a few seconds, even showing surprise as it observes its own flexible hands and fingers, ultimately looking directly into the camera.
While the upper body is extremely agile, Ameca’s lower body is currently non-functional. The robot is not yet able to walk, according to Engineered Arts. The company is researching this issue, but walking, running, or doing parkour is not Ameca’s primary goal.
Engineered Arts designs robots in a modular fashion, allowing both software and hardware upgrades without the need to create an entirely new robot. After upgrades, Ameca will be able to walk.
Ameca operates on Engineered Arts’ Tritium operating system, which enables robotics companies to test their technology. Whether developing machine learning or artificial intelligence, these companies can experiment and even showcase their technology to audiences through Ameca. Engineered Arts also offers Ameca for rent for exhibitions or workshops. This robot is expected to be showcased at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2022, taking place in January next year.
