Ultra-Realistic Humanoid Robot’s Incredible Reactions Freak Out Its Own Creators

Some of the most common daily gestures suddenly seem threatening when a robot is the one that’s performing them. If you don’t believe it, ask the Egyptian border patrol officers, who caused an international scandal earlier this year when they detained Ai-Da, the world’s first humanoid robot artist. The accusations were serious – Ai-Da was suspected of being a spy because of its penetrating eyes (hiding high-performance cameras).

If the poem-writing robot caused such a stir, we can only imagine how things would go if Ameca made an important international visit. In addition to the apparently spy-like eyes that can observe and look around, this android also interacts in the oddest way, responding to gestures such as “invading its personal space” in such a natural way that it’s scary.

Even its creators over at Engineered Arts admitted that Ameca’s communication skills are always surprising. “This is even starting to freak us out at Engineered Arts and we are used to it,” they commented on a recent video showing the robot frown and act upset when someone touches its nose. Of course, these are seemingly innocent reactions, but the fact that technology has come so far and that this is just the first step towards even more complex responses is baffling.

Although not as “talented” as the world-famous Ai-Da, Ameca is described as the world’s most advanced human-shaped robot. It doesn’t have an international career (yet), but it can be purchased and even rented for an undisclosed amount. Packed with cutting-edge technology, this humanoid robot can “strike an instant report with anybody,” thanks to its natural movements and advanced facial expressions.

Designed to act as an interaction platform between humans and digital spaces, such as the metaverse, Ameca will most likely play a very important role in the future.