At this stage of the robotics race, it's probably fair to assume that a few of us have a bit of humanoid malaise. After all, we've seen more funny videos of robots dropping plates out of dishwashers and taking 10 minutes to open and close a refrigerator door. And let's not even mention them trying to cook or play soccer.
However, Shanghai robotics startup DroidUp (also known as Zhuoyide) has stepped things up a gear or five, which is certainly worth covering considering it expects the new realistic humanoid to be rolled out this year. The model known as Moya was unveiled during a launch at Shanghai's Zhangjiang Robotics Valley where many of China's emerging humanoid developers are clustered.
Here, the company launched what it calls "a beautifully designed and expressive bionic robot" that is touted as "the world's first highly bionic robot that deeply integrates human aesthetics and advanced humanoid movement."
Moya may be best introduced by video, not words, courtesy of Shanghai Eye, part of the Shanghai Media Group.
"Based on a modular bionic platform architecture, Moya can be flexibly configured with different gender characteristics and appearances," a DroidUp spokesperson stated (this has been translated to English). "Its highly customizable bionic head can delicately express a wide range of emotions, from joy and anger to sorrow and happiness, with natural grace in its gaze. Equipped with the Zhuoyide cerebellar motor control model, its walking and turning movements are smooth and elegant, completely breaking away from the traditional 'steel image' of humanoid robots."
Part of the pivot away from the "steel image" robot design involves giving Moya temperature control to mimic a human body, as well as the softness to replicate real skin and fat and muscle beneath it. She even has a rib cage.
While the makers claim Moya has 92% human-like walking accuracy, that 8% shortfall is noticeable; her movement is uncannily like my own if I've ever had to walk in heels. But walking isn't her strength, anyway – that would be the way she interacts with humans, maintaining eye contact, smiling, nodding and expressing emotions with the kind of subtle facial muscle movements we do without being conscious of it a lot of the time.
She's able to interact in real time to people facing her thanks to a camera behind her eyes, which combines with AI to enable her to make those human-like "micro expressions."
On top of these rather human traits, Moya is also warm – literally. She's been designed to have her skin maintain a temperature of 32-36 °C (89.6-96.8 °F), which is a clever move in making her more relatable. Many studies have shown how we use touch to gauge temperature to relate to others and feel kinship – whether we realize it or not.
"A robot that truly serves human life should be warm ... almost like a living being that people can people can connect with," Li Qingdu, founder of DroidUp, told Shanghai Eye.
But with all that in mind, it's no surprise to find Moya has been met with mixed reviews. Most are the obvious "uncanny valley" remarks, while others liken her to a Westworld model or even a walking ghost. And while it isn't hard to imagine that an attractive, customizable human-like robot such as Moya will be sexualized, DroidUp hopes to have the model employed in much-needed roles like aged care.
Though if you want your own Moya, you'll need at least around US$173,000, with the company announcing that when she enters the market later this year she will most likely be headed for healthcare and education facilities.
Source: DroidUp
