When Robots Can Smile

Robots are everywhere. Artificial intelligence is everywhere. We can’t always recognize them, and often we aren’t properly astonished by their sophistication because they don’t look like Data or a T-800. But engineers at Creative Machines Lab at Colombia Engineering are trying to change that, with a new autonomous robot that can smile, frown, scowl, and raise an eyebrow like Mr. Spock. Here’s more from SlashGear:

The team says the biggest challenge in creating their robot was designing a system compact enough to fit inside the confines of a human skull yet functional enough to produce a range of facial expressions. The team used 3D printing to build parts with complex shapes that could integrate seamlessly into the machine’s skull. Once the mechanics portion was sorted out, the team moved onto the next phase that involved programming the AI to guide the facial movements.

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