Flawless skin, eyes that follow you and a face that expresses emotions – you might think this is another person.
But, it is really a humanoid that was designed as an “artificial human being”.
Over the years, many of these robots have been developed, marking milestones in artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Their human-like skin is made from either silicone or frubber, an elastic form of rubber.
Some have advanced software that allows them to hold conversations, giving them wit and a sense of humour.
Unlike industrial robots, these humanoids were not designed to replace human jobs, but to be a form of entertainment or assist humans.
Word of them has gone viral on social media in the past few years, with videos of humanoid moving their heads and making facial expressions similar to those made by people – smiling, yawning, fear, anger and disgust.
The National takes a look at seven robots that are human-like, from a UN ambassador to a college graduate.
Nikola by Riken Japan
Nikola, an android child, has skin made of silicone and its face can express six basic emotions – happiness, sadness, fear, anger, surprise and disgust.
Developed by Japanese company Riken Guardian Robot Project, the android’s face uses 29 inflatable actuators – motion-producing devices – that control the movement of its artificial muscles.
Six more actuators control head and eyeball movement.
Nikola does not have a body, but the long-term goal of the company is to build an android that can assist people.
“Androids that can emotionally communicate with us will be useful in a wide range of real-life situations, such as caring for older people, and can promote human well-being,” said Wataru Sato from the Riken project.
Ameca by Engineered Arts
This robot’s movements and facial expressions are so human-like it spooked billionaire Elon Musk, who replied with "yikes" to a Twitter post that introduced Ameca in 2021.
Shaped like a human, Ameca is designed to be genderless. It has 17 motors that control its movements and expressions.
Built by British company Engineered Arts, the humanoid cannot walk or produce speech yet.
It has cameras installed in its eyes that allow a person to speak remotely to the people controlling with it.
Adran by Engineered Arts
Footage of Adran moving its head and making facial expressions went viral in December.
The robot is a Mesmer, a system that helps build realistic humanoids that are cost-effective.
They can also display human emotions and can be designed to look like anyone.
“Expressive like nothing else, Mesmer can display a huge range of human emotion,” Engineered Arts said on its website.
“Each Mesmer robot is designed and built from 3D in-house scans of real people, allowing us to imitate human bone structure, skin texture and expressions convincingly.”
Sophia by Hanson Robotics
Sophia is perhaps the most well-known robot to be introduced.
Since her debut in 2016, the humanoid has travelled around the world, entertaining people with her witty comments, facial expressions and movement.
Sophia became so popular, Saudi Arabia made her a citizen and she became a UN ambassador.
What sets Sophia apart from other robots is advanced artificial intelligence that allows her to hold a real conversation with humans.
It also has machine learning capacity, which means it stores data and improves with time.
The machine can recognise human faces, see emotional expressions and recognise hand gestures.
It can also guess a person’s feelings during a conversation and answer questions to the best of its ability, portraying emotional intelligence in a way.
In 2018, Sophia walked for the first time.
Han by Hanson Robotics
Han is another robot by Hong-Kong-based Hanson Robotics that is super expressive.
Unveiled to the public in 2015, it can also read emotions like Sophia.
Although it does not have a body, frubber skin and facial features could persuade anyone that it was a real human head.
It has also attended many conferences around the world with Sophia to speak about the rise of robots.
Philip K Dick robot by Hanson robotics
Before Han and Sophia, there was Philip K Dick.
It is a humanoid lookalike of the science fiction author, who died in 1982.
The original version of the robot was lost on a flight in 2005. Another was built in 2011, which has 36 motors to provide facial expressions.
It can interact with people using its knowledge of Dick's novels.
Bina48 by Hanson robotics
This humanoid is the first robot to enrol in and successfully complete a college level class.
In 2017, Bina48 completed a philosophy course at California’s Notre Dame de Namur University.
Built in 2010, it structure includes a bust-like head and shoulders mounted on a frame.
It was modelled after lawyer and entrepreneur Martine Rothblatt’s wife, so the robot has her memories, feelings and beliefs installed, according to Hanson Robotics.
It can engage in conversations with other humans, and offers an emotional account of "her" brother’s personality changes after returning home from the Vietnam War.
Gully Boy
Director: Zoya Akhtar
Producer: Excel Entertainment & Tiger Baby
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Kalki Koechlin, Siddhant Chaturvedi
Rating: 4/5 stars
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Top 10 most polluted cities
- Bhiwadi, India
- Ghaziabad, India
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- Delhi, India
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Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The biog
Name: Shamsa Hassan Safar
Nationality: Emirati
Education: Degree in emergency medical services at Higher Colleges of Technology
Favourite book: Between two hearts- Arabic novels
Favourite music: Mohammed Abdu and modern Arabic songs
Favourite way to spend time off: Family visits and spending time with friends
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
HEADLINE HERE
- I would recommend writing out the text in the body
- And then copy into this box
- It can be as long as you link
- But I recommend you use the bullet point function (see red square)
- Or try to keep the word count down
- Be wary of other embeds lengthy fact boxes could crash into
- That's about it
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
ENGLAND SQUAD
For first two Test in India Joe Root (captain), Jofra Archer, Moeen Ali, James Anderson , Dom Bess, Stuart Broad , Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Ben Foakes, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Dom Sibley, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes. Reserves James Bracey, Mason Crane, Saqib Mahmood, Matthew Parkinson, Ollie Robinson, Amar Virdi.
MATCH INFO
RB Leipzig 2 (Klostermann 24', Schick 68')
Hertha Berlin 2 (Grujic 9', Piatek 82' pen)
Man of the match Matheus Cunha (Hertha Berlin
BABYLON
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
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The bio
Studied up to grade 12 in Vatanappally, a village in India’s southern Thrissur district
Was a middle distance state athletics champion in school
Enjoys driving to Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah with family
His dream is to continue working as a social worker and help people
Has seven diaries in which he has jotted down notes about his work and money he earned
Keeps the diaries in his car to remember his journey in the Emirates
Company profile
Name: Tharb
Started: December 2016
Founder: Eisa Alsubousi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: Luxury leather goods
Initial investment: Dh150,000 from personal savings
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
THE BIO
Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.
Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.
Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.
Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Best Foreign Language Film nominees
Capernaum (Lebanon)
Cold War (Poland)
Never Look Away (Germany)
Roma (Mexico)
Shoplifters (Japan)
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
The Freedom Artist
By Ben Okri (Head of Zeus)
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
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