Every man needs a woman in their life - be it a human or a robot. Yes! You heard that right.
Very soon, you will be able to buy the perfect female partner of your dreams
because Japan has just released the first fully functional female robot.
But what does she look like? And how will she function? Let’s find out.
As a global technological force, Japan has led the robotics industry, especially in terms of
the design and implementation of robots across several sectors - from agriculture
to mining to hospitality…Japanese robots are delivering the goods. They've contributed so
much to the global economy, and now they’re about to contribute directly
to our personal lives in ways you never imagined. But how? Relax, we’ll tell you.
Remember we mentioned how Japan is a dominant force in robot production a while ago?
Well, Japanese robotics experts have decided
to combine their vast knowledge of robotics technology with artificial
intelligence and biotechnology to design futuristic humanoid robots.
This dynamic combination has led to the invention of an all-new Japanese female robot called Erica.
The very first thing to note about this beautiful scientific creature
is that she is designed to function in the same way that humans do.
She will have the ability to learn, interact and show emotions just like we do.
She has all the traits of an average female. She can talk, blink, and move around with ease,
just like we do. You could even go on a walk with her, and she wouldn’t look out of place.
After all, she’s regarded by many as a glamour queen,
and true to that reputation, she has been featured in several animated movies.
But that's not to say Erica is all about the celebrity lifestyle.
In fact, she is a brilliant communicator that craves companionship more than anything else.
So you could have some quiet soul-searching moments with her as well.
Erica’s lifelong goal is to one day find a male
partner that would regularly communicate with her, and that partner could be you.
Imagine having someone that will give you a listening ear every time you need one.
You can talk to her about how your colleagues stressed you out at the office
or your next big investment plan and everything else in between, except for her age. Don't be
surprised! Just like every other woman you know, Erica doesn't like to reveal her age.
But, you wouldn't need to ask for her age anyway because we did our own little research and found
that she was 23 years old as of 2015. Don't tell her we told you that, though! Anyways,
with that information and a little bit of basic math, you can tell exactly how old she is today.
Erica was manufactured by a collaborative effort between professors at the Osaka and
Kyoto Universities and scientists from the Advanced Telecommunications Research
Institute International. However, the team is led by professor Hiroshi Ishiguro,
a renowned robotics expert at the Intelligent Robotics Laboratory at Osaka University.
Professor Hiroshi is also famous for designing a mechanical replica of himself
called the Geminoid HI-1. This android features all the physical attributes
and accessories of the professor, including his famous trademark black leather jacket,
but Erica is far more intelligent and realistic.
She's equipped with improved speech technology which helps to facilitate
seamless communication with humans. Furthermore,
she makes real human-like facial expressions to emphasize her speech.
Professor Hiroshi ranks Erica as the world’s most “beautiful and intelligent” female robot.
You could argue that his opinion is biased, but it's hard to challenge it because, in truth,
this stunning robot is all shades of beauty. And that's thanks to the
outstanding work done by the team of robotics experts that developed her.
Usually, robots are designed to look like a particular human or figure but not Erica.
Her exceptional beauty is the combination of the average physical features of 30 beautiful women.
Experts say this design concept would help her appeal to more people. But we know for sure
that there might be some exceptions. Well, that wouldn't be a problem. So, let's say
you don't like Erica’s eyes or nose. Or maybe, she is taller or shorter than you would like,
you can easily reach out to the manufacturers and make a special request for adjustments to be made,
and she will be redesigned to your taste.
Also, Erica will be a lot different from the traditional cold-blooded boring robots
that you see in movies. But what exactly does this mean?
When choosing a companion, it is important to find someone that understands how you feel.
Someone with emotion that can celebrate with you in good times and console you in the bad times.
These are some of the things you won't get from conventional robots.
But guess what? Erica is designed to offer you all of these things and even more.
She is able to alter her temperature,
just like humans. So if you ever need to hug someone after a bad day at the office,
her arms would be wide open, waiting to give you all the comfort and warmth that you crave.
What's more interesting is that Erica can learn new languages and cultures.
She can adapt to new environments and literally do everything your girlfriend does.
Not to mention that she wouldn't nag you. And if somehow you fall in love with Erica,
you wouldn't need to cater to her financial
needs because this gorgeous robot has a viable career of her own.
As we mentioned earlier, Erica is a real-life professional actress,
and that has always been the plan from the onset. Having made a couple of cameo appearances in local
movies, Erica is set to become the first AI robot to take on the lead role in a Hollywood film.
According to reports, her first outing would be in a $70 million science fiction movie titled “b.”
Erica, who is currently learning the required acting principles through artificial intelligence,
is expected to star alongside human actors.
The movie will portray the story of a scientist who developed a program to "perfect" human DNA.
Somewhere down the line, the program develops a glitch and becomes dangerous. So,
the scientist must engineer a great escape for Erica out of the lab.
Sounds like a movie you’d like to watch? Keep an eye on the Hollywood trends.
We know it might take some time before every household gets its own Erica, but experts believe
we’re getting closer and closer to a full-scale robot revolution with everything passing day.
In a recent scientific study, Nomura Research Institute predicts that nearly
half of all jobs in Japan could be performed by robots by 2035. That’s in line with Elon
Musk’s prediction that humanoid robots will be present in every home by 2050.
But the reality is that we might not even have to wait that long to see an
increased participation of humanoid robots in our society.
In 2017, a female robot named Sophia was given Saudi Arabian citizenship. This makes her the
first non-human to receive citizenship of any country. Sophia has a good sense of humor.
She can also express her feelings and emotions, just like our darling Erica.
Similarly, there’s also Pepper, the world’s first social humanoid robot who probably needs
no introduction. Designed by SoftBank robotics in 2014, Pepper is a multi-task robot that has
gone on to achieve big things. In 2018, Pepper appeared before a Parliamentary committee in
the UK to make a case for the role of artificial intelligence in administering care to old people.
A feat that has never been done before. It might also interest you to know that
the influence of robots on human lives extends far beyond our world into deep space. In 2011,
Robonaut 2 became the first ever humanoid robot to cross the Kármán line into space. Since then, this
300-pound robot has been helping NASA scientists with different tasks aboard the International
Space Station [ISS]. From moving payloads to flipping switches and performing experiments.
Fast forward to 2013, Japan launched the world’s first talking robot into space.
For 18 months, this robot named Kirobo lived aboard the ISS,
performing different research and served as a companion for astronaut Kochi Wakata.
With all these achievements,
one can only ponder what the impending robot revolution will look like.
From performing basic repetitive tasks, robots are now being touted as potential life partners.
In fact, as you watch this video, there are already suggestions that robots may soon be
able to reproduce in the not too distant future. That shows how far robotics technology has come.
But, it also leaves us with a number of unanswered questions.
Is there an ethical limit to our quest of integrating robots into our everyday lives?
Will robots eventually overrun humans?
Let us know what you think in the comment section below.
Be sure to check out this video over here!