Concept: UK’s robotics company Engineered Arts has introduced a humanoid robot called Ameca that can display human-like expressions. The company developed its hardware based on its realistic bot Mesmer’s technology. Ameca can distort its face into a grimace of shock and examine its hands in disbelief. The company has created its humanoid robots for entertainment purposes at venues and events.

Nature of Disruption: Ameca’s hardware and software are modular, allowing for easy upgrades, and its modules can work independently without requiring a full robot. This allows working with only a single head or even just an arm. Built from the ground up with a cloud-connected focus, the robot can take advantage of the advanced technologies available. Users can access all of the robot’s data, control it as their own avatar, animate and simulate it from anywhere in the world. Ameca can strike up an instant rapport with anyone thanks to its smooth, lifelike mobility and superior facial expression capabilities. Additionally, it allows the testing of AI and ML systems alongside its Tritium robot operating system. Engineered Arts claims Ameca to be an ideal platform for fostering human-to-human connection in any metaverse or digital domain.

Outlook: Robots continue to intrigue people, even though they have been around for a while. Because of this attraction, robotics is rapidly being used in entertainment, be it in movies, amusement parks, or even people’s homes. It has found increasingly complicated uses in the entertainment industry, from capturing an audience’s attention to completing precise and high-risk operations. Engineered Arts target this sector with Ameca for applications including entertainment, information, education, and research to entertain people with its human-like expressions. Even though Ameca can express emotions through facial expressions, it is nonetheless unable to move. The robot’s purpose is to help with the study of human-robot interaction, and genuine facial cues easier. The company is working on developing a walking robot.

This article was originally published in Verdict.co.uk