A team of Japanese researchers has developed new technology to make androids’ facial expressions more realistic. The studio, led by Hisashi Ishiharawas published in the Journal of Robotics and Mechatronics.
The research aims to overcome the so-called “uncanny valley“, that disturbing effect you get when looking at almost human-looking robots but with unnatural movements. The new method, called “synthesis of dynamic facial expressions“, uses “wave-like movements” to represent various facial gestures such as breathing, blinking and yawning.
This could disrupt emotional communication between humans and robots.
This technique allows you to generate complex expressions in real time, eliminating the need to prepare predefined action scenarios in advance. Additionally, it introduces “waveform modulation” that adapts movements based on the robot’s internal state, instantly reflecting mood changes.
Professor Koichi Osuka, co-author of the study, explains: “By carrying this research forward, it will be possible for robots to show more lively expressions and convey mood changes in response to surrounding circumstances, including interactions with humans.”
Ishihara adds that the goal is not to create superficial movementsbut develop a system in which internal emotions are reflected in every detail of the android’s actions, leading to the creation of robots perceived as having a “Heart“.
This technology could significantly improve the value of communication robots, allowing them to exchange information with humans in a more natural and human-like way. Potential applications range from healthcare to entertainment, education and customer service.
The team also released a demonstration video which shows the automatic generation of dynamic expressions on the face of an android robot, highlighting the effectiveness of the new approach in creating more fluid and realistic facial movements. Now it remains to be understood how much this revolution actually makes communicating with an android even more disturbing.
Source: www.tomshw.it
