WTF?! The sci-fi trope of humanoid robots that are almost indistinguishable from the real thing has moved a lot closer to reality. China has revealed what is dubbed the first "biomimetic AI robot," which walks almost exactly like a real person, can replicate human expressions, makes eye contact, and even has warm skin.
Robotics company DroidUp (also known as Zhuoyide) revealed the robot, named Moya, at Shanghai's Zhangjiang Robotics Valley.
Shanghai Eye, part of the Shanghai Media Group, took a look at Moya in the video below. The presenter highlights how cameras behind the robot's eyes allow it to look and interact with people, and that its skin, body temperature, and muscles are much more human-like than previous similar machines.
A DroidUp spokesperson said Moya is based on a modular bionic platform architecture that can be configured with different gender characteristics and appearances.
The robot's highly customizable bionic head can replicate a range of microexpressions, from joy and (concerningly) anger to sorrow and happiness.
In addition to the AI features that allow Moya to perceive and react to its surroundings, a lot of attention has focused on the robot's walk. DroidUp says its creation's walking posture has an accuracy rate of 92%. It still has some of the jerkiness seen in previous humanoid bots, but we're getting worryingly close to a lifelike replica.
Moya's other stats include a 5-foot 5-inch height and 70-pound weight, but the most human feature could be the warm skin. DroidUp says Moya maintains a body temperature of 32 to 36 degrees Celsius (89.6°F to 96.8°F).
There's little doubt that the realism and warm skin especially are going to bring questions about whether this robot is akin to Futurama's Lucy Liubot (i.e., a sexbot). Li Qingdu, founder of DroidUp, did little to dispel this perception.
"A robot that truly serves human life should be warm [...] almost like a living being that people can connect with," he said, though that statement could be taken several ways.
DroidUp envisions Moya as more than just a domestic robot. SCMP writes that the company has ambitions for Moya to be used in healthcare, education, and other commercial environments that could involve human-robot interaction.
If you're interested in Moya for what are hopefully non-lurid reasons, the robot is expected to launch by the end of 2026. It's not cheap, either: 1.2 million yuan, or around $173,000.