Meet Fred. (He’s the one on the left.) Fred is a remarkably lifelike robot—one of many being built by Engineered Arts, a company in the United Kingdom.
These days, all sorts of robots are part of everyday life—from self-operating vacuums to machines that manufacture cars. Most perform simple, repetitive tasks. Fred is different. He’s amazingly complex and was designed to be as expressive as a real person.
Fred’s software allows him to maintain eye contact with people, recognize their age and gender, and “read” their facial cues while he holds a conversation. He can be operated by a human using a laptop—even from halfway around the world.
Most of the company’s robots are designed to entertain. They’re used at tourist attractions worldwide, such as Madame Tussauds wax museums. Some, like Fred, are also used in research—such as in studies on how people react to different kinds of robots.
What do you think of Fred? Is he cool or creepy? What role should robots play in our lives?