I. II.

History of Actroid Robot Definition of Actroid

Actroid is a type of android (humanoid robot) and with strong visual human-likeness developed by Osaka University and manufactured by Kokoro Company Ltd. (the animatronics division of Sanrio). It was first unveiled at the 2003 International Robot Exhibition in Tokyo, Japan. Several different versions of the product have been produced since then. In most cases, the robot's appearance has been modeled after an average young woman of Japanese descent. The Actroid woman is a pioneer example of a real machine similar to imagined machines called by the science fiction terms android or gynoid, so far used only for fictional robots. It can mimic such lifelike functions as blinking, speaking, and breathing. The "Repliee" models are interactive robots with the ability to recognize and process speech and respond in kind.
Actroid is one of the best Robot that showcased how Robotics can effectively mimic humans, as they have evolved the tech over last decade. Their current iteration of Actroid is better known as Actroid-F, looks like a humanoid robot that can mock the operators facial expressions and head movements with accuracy seen never before. Actroid-F is characterized by expressive engine, and one that can reproduce such a laugh and toothy smile, naturally. She can easily trace the movement based upon facial image recognition, which includes gestures like such as nodding or shaking head.

Service Robots: The Japanese are in the forefront in these types of robots. Essentially, this category comprises of any robot that is used outside an industrial facility, although they can be sub-divided into two main types of robots: one, robots used for professional jobs, and the second, robots used for personal use. Amongst the former type are the above mentioned robots used for military use, then there are robots that are used

for underwater jobs, or robots used for cleaning hazardous waste, and the like.

Personal use robots are becoming more and more popular, with increased sophistication in Artificial Intelligence and with them becoming increasingly affordable, and are being seen in areas like caregiving, pet robots, house cleaning and entertainment. Although it is more expensive and difficult to make highly intelligent and sensitive machines, but service robots designed with minimal intelligence are already fairly common, such as the vacuum cleaning robots.

The creation of the amazing walking humanoid named Asimo gave the impetus for several others, such as the house-helping robot named Wakamaru, and Aibo, the robot dog. Then there are the popular robocon competitions held in Japan, with robots playing soccer or having fighting matches.

Another area where personal use robots are being introduced is in the care for the elderly. In countries where there are increasing numbers of the aged with comparatively fewer numbers of young people to provide them with care, due to low birth rate and increased longevity, such as is the case in Japan and a growing number of Western countries, robots are increasingly thought to be the answer. These robots are being designed to provide physical services such as carrying bedridden elderly people (or even the handicapped), or washing for them, and doing various other day-to-day tasks. And then there are robots being designed to provide mental services, such as offering the therapeutic effect of interacting with the often lonely elderly people.

III. IV.

Classification of Actroid Robot Benefits

Robots offer specific benefits to workers, industries and countries. If introduced correctly, industrial robots can improve the quality of life by freeing workers from dirty, boring, dangerous and heavy labor. it is true that robots can cause unemployment by replacing human workers but robots also create jobs: robot technicians, salesmen, engineers, programmers and supervisors. The benefits of robots to industry include improved management control and productivity and consistently high quality products.

Industrial robots can work tirelessly night and day on an assembly line without an loss in performance. Consequently, they can greatly reduce the costs of manufactured goods. As a result of these industrial benefits, countries that effectively use robots in their industries will have an economic advantage on world market. ( http://www.electronicsteacher.com/robotics/robotics-history.php#p7)

Service robot
Main article: Service robot Most commonly industrial robots are fixed robotic arms and manipulators used primarily for production and distribution of goods. The term "service robot" is less well-defined. IFR has proposed a tentative definition, "A service robot is a robot which operates semi- or fully- autonomously to perform services useful to the well-being of humans and equipment, excluding manufacturing operations." In South Africa robot is an informal and commonly used term for a set of traffic lights.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robot#Service_robot)
A service robot is a robot that is capable of providing services to its owner. These robots generally are autonomous but can be controlled, either remotely or manually, by built-in systems. They also might be synced up with WiFi home networks or smart environments. Service robots can differ in specific functions, but their jobs usually can be described as helping humans perform tasks that are dangerous, difficult, dirty, repetitive or distant. A service robot can ease the workload of a human being in this way, especially if the task is frequent, such as as with home chores. They also can be used in medicine, space, agriculture, firefighting, hotels and entertainment and to perform industrial tasks. Service robots are particularly useful in the automotive industry, where heavy lifting and fine calibrations are required to build a vehicle.

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-service-robot.htm

The Actroid was the robot that left visitors breathless. Amazingly lifelike, this office robot has been designed as an android "bearing a striking resemblance to a woman," with a command of four languages. (Its technical rationale is to promote the joint venture's ongoing work to fulfill the objectives of the "System Development Toward Practical Use" guidelines of the NEDO 2004 Next-Generation Robot Commercialization Project.) The Actroid speaks Chinese, English, Japanese, and Korean. It can interactively converse with visitors on various subjects, including information about the exhibition, in a synthetic but realistic voice. It's amazing appearance is so perfectly analogous to humans that, I believe, most people would not notice the difference between this robot and a human from a distance of 20 to 30 meters. It is capable of controlling its motions expressively within the context of a

conversation just as a human being does--with facial expressions, lip movements, and behavior. The face of the Actroid has 42 degrees of freedom. The robot is static, however; it can not move.

http://spectrum.ieee.org/robotics/robotics-software/the-hits-of-tokyo-robot-week
developed by professor hiroshi ishiguro of osaka university, repliee q1 looks extremely human and has sensors and motors which are embedded allow her to move and behave in a very human-like manner. a computer was used to analyze the movements of humans in order to create a template for repliee q1.

http://www.designboom.com/history/female_robots2.html

The robot on the right is known as the Actroid J-Girl This robot was shown at the 2005 Tokyo International Robot Expo. There are videos on the internet showing the robot making gestures, waving at the crowds, expressing herself (itself?) through body language, and, I believe, singing. This robot can speak multiple languages. As of the last time I looked into this robot, its ability was conned primarily to its torso. That is, the robot does its thing without moving

its feet.

Why Robots Will Never Have Sex. By Avinash Kak Copyright c 2009 Avinash Kak