When robotics takes on a human face

Robots do not have to follow the human form at all in order to fulfill their tasks. The positioning of sensors, cameras, voice output, etc. can also be regulated completely differently. Efficiency usually determines their structure, or follows - according to the classical principle - the form of the function. However, it has been shown time and again that the more familiar, the more human body shape and "face" are designed, the higher the acceptance. Friendly-looking robots attract the eyes and visitors, communication develops more easily without any inhibitions, and users of all ages and from all backgrounds accept the support provided by the "human" robot.

A wide variety of manufacturers are therefore also working on the appearance of their models. The more intensive the customer contact or even the close-to-body support by a robot, the more important the appropriate appearance becomes. At CES 2022, Engineered Arts presented AMECA, a particularly successful humanoid robot with a modeled face, which allowed convincing dialogs and may serve as an example for the fact that in a few years, human-like robots will increasingly find their way into the medical, care and educational sectors.