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Android (robot)

technology Maturity 7-9 Next article →

An android is a robot designed to look like a human.

Repliee Q2
Repliee Q2

Many are built using soft, flesh-like materials to mimic skin. While the term android is used for any human-looking robot, a female robot is often called a gynoid. Some people use the word anthrobot to describe these machines. This helps avoid confusion with organic species in science fiction. These machines are amazing because they try to copy how we move and act.

Android Times Tue Dec 22 1795
Android Times Tue Dec 22 1795

How these robots work depends on their design. Some use a system of air pressure to move smoothly. This is called an air servosystem, and it helps them move without making much noise. Other robots use many small motors to change their faces. For example, the WD-2 robot uses 17 facial points to change its expression. Each point has three degrees of freedom, which means it can move in different directions. This allows the robot to copy a specific person's face using a 3D scanner.

Repliee Q2 face
Repliee Q2 face

Humans have been dreaming of androids for a very long time. The word first appeared in a book called the Cyclopaedia in 1728. Later, the term was used in US patents as early as 1863. For many years, androids only lived in science fiction stories. Authors like Auguste Villiers de l'Isle-Adam wrote about them in 1886. In the 1940s, stories helped people see the difference between mechanical robots and fleshy androids. This long history shows our deep interest in making machines that look like us.

Many important projects have brought androids into the real world. In 1972, Waseda University in Japan finished WABOT-1. It was the first full-scale humanoid robot that could walk and grip objects. By 1984, they made WABOT-2, which had ten fingers and could play the organ. In South Korea, scientists made EveR-1 to show human emotions. She has 60 artificial joints and a body made of synthetic jelly silicon. She can even sing and dance while using her facial muscles.

Ever-2
Ever-2

Today, we see androids being used for many different jobs. Some are designed to be social robots like Nadine in Singapore. She might act as a personal assistant in a home or office. Other robots, like EDGAR, allow a person to control the robot's face from far away. We even see AI androids like Maria Bot helping as teachers at universities. As technology grows, these machines may become common companions for the young and the elderly. They show how science can turn old stories into real life.

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File:Ever-2.jpg
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