Japanese face-shifter robots invade

Robotics Science

Gareth Branwyn is a freelance writer and the former Editorial Director of Maker Media. He is the author or editor of over a dozen books on technology, DIY, and geek culture. He is currently a contributor to Boing Boing, Wink Books, and Wink Fun. His free weekly-ish maker tips newsletter can be found at garstipsandtools.com.

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September 19th, 2007 4

And you thought that LittleDog video represented a leap-forward in robo-kind. The WD-2 (Waseda-Docomo face robot No.2) is a face-changing robot from the Takanishi Laboratory at Waseda University in Japan. Servo motors move armatures connected to contact points on a face mask made of Septon, a thermoplastic rubber. The face has 56 degrees of freedom which, driven by a microcontroller, allow it to morph into different facial types. Project actual human faces onto it, and wonder ensues. Schpooky.

Various Face Shape Expression Robot – [via] Link