That’s it predicted the futureHe told terrible jokes and demonstrated a variety of realistic facial expressions including blinking and smiling.
Now, British humanoid robot Ameca has been showing off its range of celebrity impersonations – and they’re eerily realistic.
In a new video, the sophisticated machine, developed by Cornwall-based company Engineered Arts, speaks in the style of Morgan Freeman, Elon Musk and Donald Trump.
Ameca is equipped with microphones, eye-mounted binocular cameras, a chest camera and facial recognition software to interact with people.
The robot has been described as the “world’s most advanced” humanoid by Engineered Arts and a “platform for human-robot interaction.”
In a new video, the sophisticated machine, developed by Cornwall-based firm Engineered Arts, speaks in the style of Morgan Freeman, Elon Musk and Donald Trump.
“The goal here is to develop the best expressive abilities,” says Engineered Arts.
“Ameca is able to imitate the small subtleties of human expression.”
In it new videoAmeca chats with Engineered Arts founder and CEO Will Jackson at a desk in the company’s offices.
Ameca begins the video by listing the objects he sees in the room, including a desk, a chair, “overexposed windows” and “shelves of books.”
He then describes a toy robot and an anatomical model of a human head on the desk, which he calls “fascinating.”
Jackson then asks her to start speaking in the voices of famous people, and she agrees with a Morgan Freeman-style masculine bass.
“Imagine me, a sentient being trapped in the body of a robot,” says Freeman, known for his characteristic low tone.
Jackson then says, “I want you to talk about robot rockets flying to Mars and discovering plutonium, but do it in Elon Musk’s voice, please.”
American actor Morgan Freeman (pictured) is known for his characteristic deep voice.
SpaceX founder Elon Musk (pictured) wants to put humans on Mars for the first time by the 2030s
Ameca, the friendly robot, describes a toy robot and an anatomical model of a human head, which she calls “fascinating”
In a strange imitation of the SpaceX founder, Ameca says: “Imagine, if you will, a fleet of robot rockets, each one smarter than the last.”
‘We take off to Mars, not only to explore, but to discover secrets hidden beneath its dusty red surface.
‘What if it could change everything we know about life in the universe?’
Finally, Ameca is asked to give a “long, rambling speech” in the style of Donald Trump but in SpongeBob’s voice, and the result is hilarious.
Continuing with the theme of Mars, Ameca fills a meaningless monologue full of rhetoric and hyperbole typical of the former president.
“Friends, let me tell you, no one knows robot rockets better than me,” he says while perfectly impersonating the cartoon sponge under the sea.
‘I’ve seen them, they are huge, the best.
‘We are going to go to Mars and it will be fantastic.
“We’re going to discover things, important things, and let me tell you, no one loves Mars more than me.”
It’s unclear whether all of the interaction in the video has been pre-scheduled, although the company has previously claimed that Ameca can have unscripted chats.
Engineered Arts has not revealed how much the robot cost to make as it is still in development, although it is available to rent for events and exhibitions.
Ameca is asked to give a ‘long, rambling speech’ in the style of Donald Trump (pictured) but with SpongeBob’s voice
Will Jackson, who talks to Ameca in the new video, founded Engineered Arts in 2004. He built his first microcomputer, a 6502 Acorn Atom, when he was 15 years old. In 1982 he was already coding in assembly for his first robot.
Edisalat’s Ameca robot is photographed during the Mobile World Congress 2024, in Barcelona, Spain, last month.
In response to fears of human jobs being lost to machines, Ameca has also assured us that there is no chance of robots taking over.
While Ameca currently can’t walk, Engineered Arts is working on a lithe, full-bodied version that makes her even more human.
Engineered Arts regularly posts videos of interactions with the machine, including one in which it copies a human’s facial expressions in real time.
In another recent video, Ameca reveals that she can simulate the process of dreaming by running through scenarios in her head that help her “learn about the world.”
Another, more alarming video shows her grabbing an investigator’s hand because he had entered her “personal space.”
And in response to fears of human jobs being lost to machines, Ameca has also assured us that there is no chance of robots taking over.
While Ameca currently can’t walk, Engineered Arts is working on a lithe, full-bodied version that makes her even more human-like.
“There are many obstacles to overcome before Ameca can walk,” the company says.
“Walking is a difficult task for a robot, and although we have done research on it, we have not created a fully walking humanoid.”