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MeBot Emotes for MIT, But Why?

by Matthew Zuras on March 4, 2010 at 07:29 AM


MIT's Personal Robotics Group has recently developed MeBot, a telerobot that mimics the head and arm movements of its operator. Telerobotics allow a user to remotely control a robot that can then interact with other objects and people. Problem is, most of the telerobots out there have been somewhat lacking in emotive qualities. MeBot attempts to rectify that issue by tracking the operator's facial gestures and translating them to robot "head" movements.

Do you find the MeBot as unsettling as we do? Fortunately, it's intended for research only, so there's no need to worry about its creepy gesticulations invading our desktops. Still, we think this kind of robot is best suited to roaming the scorched hillocks of Mars or snipping your vas deferens. MeBot's support of "eye-contact as well as gaze control and directed speech" may be a boon to Martians or that poor Wall-E-esque stranded Mars Rover, but we can't imagine that our internal organs would benefit from "directed speech." Check out two videos of MeBot in action after the break. [From: Hizook, via: Engadget]



Tags: mars rover, MarsRover, mebot, mit, mit peronal robotics group, MitPeronalRoboticsGroup, robot, wall-e

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