Creepy Robots, Coming to a Bank Kiosk Near You!

With eery, childlike eyes staring out of a blank plastic face, the Telenoid R1 does not look like a serious tool for business. Its movements are jerky. Limbs are conspicuously absent. And in terms of function, it is essentially just a $3000 video conferencing system, doing what Skype does for free.

Comments BBC's Sharif Sakr.

Personally I think these things are freaky as hell. The obvious comparison would be i-Robot, of course. Let me see if I can embed a pic...




Ok that didn't work... Here is a vid instead.



The creator of the 'Telenoid R1', Professor Hiroshi Ishiguro of Osaka University, claims that they are the future of video conferencing because they give the impression of a real presence in the room. I don't know if I could ever get used to these things. They really give me the creeps.

The article goes on to say that one day, they might not need in house bank managers. Customers will just talk, via the web to one of these humanoid monstrosities.

It is even mentioned that they want to develop mini ones or 'elfoids' as they will be known, for mobile phones.

Here are a couple of links...

BBC

Daily Mail

I agree that these things are pretty creepy looking, however I could see a use for them.

Most people feel either uncomfortable or unsure of themselves when trying to talk directly to a camera instead of trying to talk to the image on the screen. What I would suggest is some way of projecting the face of the person you are talking to onto the face of the Telenoid so that it looks a little more like a person to talk to, than a really creepy doll.

Just a thought...

All them movies......so many set in the future with robots and humanoids, generally bad bad things happen, so get your pitch forks ready folks

reply to post by chupa-chups


Pitchfork: check

EMP: Check

Superglue: check

I think I am prepared.