Creepy robot skin answers 3 questions about the future

uncanny The questions you’ve always wanted to ask. by Sarah Wells Updated: Feb. 20, 2024 Originally Published: April 11, 2021 Courtesy of Promobot

Shutterstock Whether they display group intelligence , are deployed as police officers , or simply lift heavy objects , it’s no secret that modern robots are becoming increasingly advanced and powerful.

Courtesy of Promobot They’re also becoming increasingly life-like, sometimes complete with skin that looks and feels like the real deal.

Courtesy of Promobot While life-like androids may give some people goosebumps, the cofounder of service robotics company Promobot , Oleg Kivokurtsev , tells Inverse that these human-like features are essential for the future of robotics.

lambada/E+/Getty Images “We all know about the ‘ uncanny valley ’: the more a robot appears more human-like, the better it will be perceived,” Kivokurtsev tells Inverse.

Shutterstock “The company that can ‘surpass’ the uncanny valley will dominate the market; to do that, the robot must be well-received by humans.”

Courtesy of Promobot That’s exactly what Promobot plans to do with the release of their new, hyper-realistic android skins. Kivokurtsev spoke with Inverse to explain the how , the why , and the weird .

What is robot skin made of? “Robo-C” skin is not Promobot’s first foray into android skin, but Kivokurtsev says it is the most life-like, thanks to “new silicone alloys and chemicals” that make it more durable and elastic. Courtesy of Promobot

Courtesy of Promobot “Our skin must be just as soft as a human face on touch. It will not appear human if it is too rough or too thin.”

Courtesy of Promobot In addition to adding human-like qualities (such as pores or blemishes), Promobot also includes “hardware hidden underneath the skin to make sure the skin looks natural in movement.”

When could a human interact with this robot? You’re most likely to meet a Promobot android at your favorite spot — a movie theater, mall, or office. The company designs its robots to act as artificial customer-service representatives to help customers. Courtesy of Promobot

Anna Efetova/Moment/Getty Images “We are focused on implementing robots as receptionists, visitor assistants, and concierges,” Kivokurtsev explains.

Courtesy of Promobot Think Wall-E , but with human-like skin.

Why do robots need human-like skin? There’s a thin line in robotics between comforting and creepy, and Kivokurtsev says that it all comes down to quality. A human might connect better with a human-like robot over a face-less A.I., but this can backfire if the human-like robot shows subtle signs betraying its non-humanness (e.g. not blinking.) Reuters

Reuters Kivokurtsev and Promobot seek to rise above the uncanny valley by going all-in on human-like bots instead of taking a more measured, less life-like approach.

Courtesy of Promobot Promobot has big plans for their life-like robots, including “assum[ing] tasks from human personnel.”

Courtesy of Promobot Read more about robots here .

Creepy robot skin answers 3 questions about the future

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