Humanoid robots are all the rage these days, with startups racing to build the most impressive iteration. We’ve seen robots capable of emulating the human gait, robots running marathons, and even humanoid butlers, but now, a Chinese company claims to have created the world’s first biomimetic humanoid robot powered by advanced AI.
Recently unveiled by Shanghai-based robotics startup DroidUp, Moya is a humanoid robot designed to mimic a variety of human-like features, from a natural gait and facial expressions to a realistic skin and even a body temperature of 89 to 96 degrees Fahrenheit (32 to 36 degrees Celsius). The female version stands 165 cm tall and weighs 32 kilograms (70lbs).
According to a press release by DroidUp, “Moya can be flexibly configured with different gender characteristics and appearances. Whether it’s the male version’s composed strength or the female version’s elegant friendliness, both can be flexibly configured according to different scenarios such as business, healthcare, and companionship.”
While the makers claim Moya has 92% human-like walking accuracy, videos of the humanoid robot in action suggest that the 8% difference is quite considerable, as Moya’s gait couldn’t really be described as ‘natural’. Luckily, she has other things going for her.
Thanks to an AI-powered camera behind her eyes, Moya is able to detect people in her line of sight and interact with them using both verbal expression and subtle facial expressions. Last but not least, the world’s first biomimetic robot has realistic skin that is warm to the touch. Body temperature may not seem that important, but studies have shown that we gauge temperature through touch to relate to others and feel kinship.
Although DroidUp described Moya as the company’s “pinnacle in bionic technology,” the feedback to the biomimetic humanoid robot has been mixed. Some social media users were impressed by Moya’s features, but many described her facial expressions and walking as “unsettling”.
DroidUp plans to release Moya commercially by the end of the year, for a starting price of 1.2 million yuan ($173,000). But before you whip out your credit card, you should know that the company plans to target healthcare and education facilities first.
