The Japanese movie Robocon (2003) is a fictional account of an inter-school robot competition.
Robots' characteristics may vary with their specific applications. There are robots that are supposed to provide help to the elderly, robots that catwalk in fashion shows or robots that look like pets and make the children's best friends.
The main characteristic is their ability to move. Humanoid Japanese robots, those which resemble people the most are capable of walking and talking. They have however limited functions and they mainly do what they are programmed to.
Moreover, a recently created robot called CB2 or Child-robot with Biomimetic Body may follow moving objects with its eyes. CB2 can dangle its legs, raise its shoulders and fall with rhythmic breathing. [2] CB2 may recognize the human touch which is possible thanks to the 197 film-like pressure sensors that are placed under its rubbery skin. Asada, the team of engineers and brain specialists together with psychologists and many other specialists in the related domain created a CB2 that may record emotional expressions, memorize them and then match them with physical sensations.
The characteristics of robots are however progressive, their abilities being enlarged as the technology has progressed. The same CB2 acts more and more as human and it was capable of teaching itself how to walk with the aid of human help. The robot learned how to move around the room by using its 51 "muscles" which are driven by air pressure.
The humanoid Japanese robots characteristics include abilities such as blinking, smiling or expressing emotions akin to anger and surprise. One of the newest Japanese robots, HRP-4C is a female-robot programmed to catwalk. It walks and talks and with the help of 30 motors it may move its legs and arms however loudly and awkwardly. The facial expressions that are capable of are driven by 8 facial motors to make it smile or blink and change the facial expression as a response to...