Beep Boop

While at the Miraikan, I did take the opportunity to meet its other denizens (rather than just the toilet guys.) Though the museum has a very compelling section dedicated to the exploration of space, I found myself more compelled by their robotics section. And seeing as Japan has invested heavily in robotics, there are quite some interesting encounters to be made within the museum. Allow me to introduce you to do the two forerunners!

Asimo struttin' his stuff.

The first of the two is Asimo. Everyone loves Asimo. He's just a few inches over four feet tall and speaks in a high, child-like voice.  Once a day at the Miraikan, Asimo is brought out for a 30-minute demonstration of his capabilities, where he showcases his mobility. He's appeared at many different events, ranging from conducting orchestras to dancing in Disneyland. When it comes down to it, though, Asimo's purpose is to be a personal assistant, and he is capable of recognizing faces, following people, respond to questions, call people by name, and react to sounds, completely on his own. I think Asimo would be fun to have around.

Geminoid F.

 The second of the two is Geminoid F, or Otonaroid (with "otona" signifying "adult".) Geminoid F is an attempt at creating the most human-like android possible, and, at a glance, it's pretty convincing. She mimics the mannerisms of real people, by blinking, shrugging, and using her hands to gesture. Geminoid F, though, is designed to be controlled remotely, allowing an individual to operate her and even speak through her lips with the help of a voice changer. Personally, while I think she's pretty impressive, she's also pretty damn creepy though. Her movements are a ever so slightly angular and broken, and she kind of has a glazed look, with her smiles lacking warmth. It's hard to look at her and not think that this won't somehow eventually collide with the development of sex dolls. Maybe Geminoid would be a little less fun to have around.
 And there you have it! Maybe eventually these will come into the public market, with debatable yet interesting outcomes.