Meet my robot twin, Geminoid

Why is this man smiling?

Because he has a new robot twin who'll work at the office while he relaxes at home. I knew humanoid robots would find a practical use.

ATR Intelligent Robotics and Communication Laboratories visiting roboticist Hiroshi Ishiguro (above left -- er, right) unveiled his latest android sensation today, Geminoid, in Kansai Science City. It's a lifesized, very lifelike machine that was created from actuators, metal and silicone molds cast from the Osaka University engineering professor's body.

Read my Wired News article on it here.

Ishiguro has developed remote-control technology for the android so he can operate it from wherever he likes, saving him time wasted on commuting. The system incorporates posture and lip tracking, replicating his movements. His doppelganger also has its own autonomous motion programs, producing little shoulder, finger and foot twitches that add to its amazing verisimilitude.

Geminoid was developed to conduct research into telepresence using androids, a concept Ishiguro terms sonzai-kan (feeling one's presence). He also sees it as a way to get around the current limitations of AI in robots.

I, however, see mass production of Geminoid eliminating commutes, traffic jams, road rage, high oil prices, global warming, and, best of all, meetings with bosses. Ishiguro may have just saved the world.