SAYA: the robot receptionist
5th March, 2007 by stuart
The Tokyo University of Science proudly showed off their SAYA receptionist robot at a recent robotics forum in Tokyo. Development first began in 1993, and SAYA is now capable of spouting 300 words/700 phrases from what looks like her speaker-bra. However, it’s not just conversation that SAYA has become skilled in. She is now capable of contorting her face into a number of different expressions, including, happy, sad, anger, and surprised. This is done by pulling at different combinations of the 18 control points underneath the skin.
You may have heard of SAYA before now, but I thought it would be a good time to bring her up, as Ben-Gurion University in Israel recently bought SAYA in order to aid the development of their own robotics program. Be amazed as she demonstrates a few of her creepy expressions on Israeli TV:
Source: Impress Watch
March 6th, 2007 at 5:09 pm
Man, that is definitely one creepy looking android. I’m not saying it has to look like some beauty queen, but the head is too small, the torso is too long, the expression makes it looks constipated, and that outfit would be unflattering on just about anyone, I think!
She looks even worse here! (I thought maybe this was just a bad picture, but no)
http://navegante2.elmundo.es/navegante/imagenes/2005/11/30/1133349404_extras_ladillos_1_1.jpg
October 2nd, 2007 at 12:10 pm
Is it me, or is she totally cross-eyed in the video? ick