The Nanyang Technological University in SIngapore recently introduced "Nadine", their intelligent robot who looks like a real human being. The human-like robot possesses emotions, and the ability to recognize and talk to people.
As reported by ABC News, Nadine was presented in a new media showcase at the university where she is currently serving as a receptionist. Created to be a doppelganger of her creator, Nadia Thalmann, Nadine has soft brown skin and flowing brunette hair.
She runs with an advanced 'assistant' software like Apple's Siri and Microsoft's Cortana. As reported by Engadget, the robot also has her own mood and emotion plus the ability to remember people as well as the contents of her conversation with them.
"She smiles when greeting you, looks at you in the eye when talking, and can also shake hands with you." Thalmann said. She also added that Nadine "can be happy or sad, depending on the conversation" and has a good memory.
Thalmann predicted that physical social robots like Nadine are poised to become more visible in offices and homes in the future. She further added that robots could also be a solution to the problem of shrinking workforce and become personal companion for children and elderly as well as platform for healthcare services in the future.
Aside from Nadine, NTU also unveiled EDGAR who is a tele-presence robot. According to News Factor, EDGAR has the capability to mimic the movements of its human user, and can also be controlled from anywhere around the world through a webcam.
Unlike Nadine, EDGAR doesn't have human-like features but can be very useful in the future. According to Engineering professor Gerald Seet, EDGAR could help break the limitations presented by geography by allowing its user to be in one or more places at the same time.
"In future, a renowned educator giving lectures or classes to large groups of people in different locations at the same time could become commonplace," Seet said. "Or you could attend classes or business meetings all over the world using robot proxies, saving time and travel costs.", he added.
The introduction of EDGAR and its humanoid counterpart, Nadine, garnered mixed response as some described it as "creepy" and "scary". However, experts also say that such fears could go away with time as the robots become popular. Some experts also assert that the use of AI will bring more positive impact than create further chaos.
