‘Robot learns how to escape from exhibition’ – The Independent: ‘Scientists running a pioneering experiment with "living robots" which think for themselves were amazed to find one escaping from the centre where it "lives"’.
‘Compagnie 111’ – The Independent:
‘The human performers, Olivier Alenda and Olivier Boyer, are taut and disciplined, but that robot is the star of the show. It has amazing range and delicacy of movement: flowing and twisting, picking up and setting things down, pulling the floor from under its human partners' feet’.
‘We can beat the robots – with democracy’– The Guardian:
‘But as Sophia is a robot herself, and one of a new robot technology generation guided by artificial intelligence that’s increasing in sophistication, the words are more than a little perturbing. Sophia is the product of Hong Kong based Hanson Robotics, and her notoriety exists not merely on the basis of her interview tactics, but because the government of Saudi Arabia has granted her citizenship rights after her recent local visit to a tech show. Many have noted that as she was provided a platform there without a male chaperone, she perhaps already has more rights than a Saudi woman’.
‘Erica, the 'most beautiful and intelligent' android, leads Japan's robot revolution’ – The Guardian:
‘Erica enjoys the theatre and animated films, would like to visit south-east Asia, and believes her ideal partner is a man with whom she can chat easily.
She is less forthcoming, however, when asked her age. “That’s a slightly rude question … I’d rather not say,” comes the answer'.
‘Would you want a robot to be your child’s best friend?’ – The Guardian:
Spin Master “I think it looks good and I like how the eyes always change, but it has an extremely creepy voice. Also, when it asks you a question, if you answer too quietly, it talks over you and carries on with the next question, which annoyed me. And I didn’t like it asking me if I sing in the shower”.
Anki “I think the design is executed so well, like the screen where his eyes show. Whenever he does something cool I call to Mum and she comes around and we crouch down and go, ‘Aw, he’s so cute’. Sort of like a little puppy. An absolutely fantastic little robot”.
‘RT Corp raises $3.8M for Foodly lunch-packing humanoid’ – The Robot Report:
‘…why a humanoid form factor is needed for this type of application. RT said the design will help humans feel comfortable while working next to Foodly, which is about “the size of a small adult woman.”’
