Small Step for Robots, Giant Leap For Virtual Reality
Writing by Conner Flynn on Tuesday, 16 of October , 2007 at 11:57 am
The U-Tsu-Shi-O-Mi humanoid robot’s purpose is to be a real, physical object that replicates in meatspace everything its virtual twin does in VR. It accomplishes this through computer animation and a special headset. The robot is outfitted with a green suit (presumably, this is similar to green screen technology used in movies), making him look like a creppy mannequin frog. If you are wearing the headset, you will see a person “painted on” the featureless green robot, so that as the robot moves and gestures and talks, the computer animation “sticks” to the robot and appears continuous to your eye. The robot even responds a bit if you do things, like say, touch its hand. In the video, you see a blue aura around the form, but I assume that is because they did not paint the sides of the form. It’s not a quantum leap to think that if they map the entire object, then what you have is a true 3-d virtual buddy, love slave or whatever you like.
The implications are amazing for both consumer and military use. Imagine the money to be made by virtually-pimping a stable of “girls” that are essentially software. The bonus for the consumer perv is that he or she would not only have the image, but the physical “doll” as well. Now imagine the military using this in the future for everything from training to assassination.
The video is a bit more disturbing then you might think. That’s thanks mostly to their choice of music. They show the whole creepy process and explain a bit more about the exoskeleton underneath the green suit.
Video and links after the jump…
[Robot Watch] VIA [Technovelgy]
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Comment by Marcelo
Made Tuesday, 16 of October , 2007 at 10:58 pm
Fantastic!! I can’t imagine where technology will take us
Comment by Kira
Made Wednesday, 17 of October , 2007 at 4:10 am
AHHH that ending with the face saying good buy freaked me out. PEOPLE WHO MAKE ROBOTS, THEY HAVE TO BLINK OR THEY END UP LOOKING CREEPY!!! also don’t have them always smiling they look psychotic. but all in all this is amazing. i am amazed every time something new comes out of this website lol.