Submission + - Freaky Japanese Baby-bot
mux2000 writes: "With Japan's birth rate still worryingly low, the powers that be may not thank the Japan Science and Technology Agency [Japanese] for the unveiling its new humanoid robot last week, a 33-kilogramme effigy that can make facial expressions, react to its surroundings by blinking and stand up with assistance. Giving it a set of skills and abilities that its maker claims allows CB2 (Child-Robot with Biometric Body) to emulate the physical abilities of a 1- or 2-year-old toddler. Here is another write-up that includes some unsettling videos of this digital toddler as well.
FTA:
FTA:
"The only problem being that unlike the real thing, CB2 is neither comical nor cute — far from it in fact. The not so little fella's freakishly real — and at the same time not real — features quite possibly putting people off having kids forever.
Although that said, his (or indeed her) loving look up at its 'father' is possibly enough to melt even the coldest of hearts.
Perhaps.
