Science & technology | Robotics

Humanoid robots are getting close to reality

Walking, talking machines will soon act as guides, companions and deliverers

The Engineered Arts Ameca humanoid robot with artificial intelligence is demonstrated during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) on January 5, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Patrick T. FALLON / AFP) (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)
|Falmouth

Asked a question, Ameca fixes you with sapphire-blue eyes. Does that face contain a hint of a smile? “Yes, I am a robot,” is the reply. Another Ameca, standing nearby in a group of four, stares across inquisitively and tries to join in. “Currently, it’s the worst-ever party guest,” says Will Jackson, Ameca’s creator. “It butts in on every conversation and never shuts up.”

This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “A cryin’, talkin’, sleepin’, walkin’, livin’ doll”

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