Smile Betrayed: The Sinister Mimicry of an Unsettling Robot
Researchers have developed a robot named “Emo” that can predict and mimic human smiles in almost real time, aiming to make human-like robots appear more natural. Through camera-equipped pupils, Emo anticipates and mirrors a smile less than a second before it appears on a person’s face. While the robot’s attempts at smiling are somewhat comical and creepy, this advancement in facial expression synchronization could pave the way for more authentic interactions with AI-powered humanoid robots in the future.