Science Disney unveiled an animatronic robot with the same gaze as humans built to create 'the illusion of life' - KEEP THAT REJECT FURBY/TERMINATOR HYBRID AWAY FROM ME

Disney unveiled an animatronic robot with the same gaze as humans built to create 'the illusion of life'

The robot can mimic human-like actions like tilting its head, blinking, saccade, and breathing to name a few functions.

news.yahoo.com

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Disney Research unveiled an audio-animatronics human bust with a lifelike gaze that eerily mimics a real person's eye and head movements.

Audio-animatronics are Disney's animatronics figures used throughout its theme parks to serve as lifelike characters. According to the study announcing this new eye gaze capability, these widely used animatronic figures imitate real life by using "fluid motions."

Now, Disney Research has built upon the audio-animatronics human bust by giving it the ability to mimic human-like eye gaze and head movements.

The "Realistic and Interactive Robot Gaze" study announcing this development was authored by people on the Disney Research and Walt Disney Imagineering team, as well as two researchers from the California Institute Of Technology and the University Of Illinois At Urbana-Champaign. Shortly after the study was unveiled, Disney Research Hub published a one-minute YouTube video displaying the robot's human-like functions.

Keep scrolling to see the robot up close:

This project builds upon previous work primarily focused on the "technical implementation" of human gaze in a robot by adding a level of realistic human-like characteristics to its eyes and head movement.

https://sneed.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/PEXEdgYTjiZIcRgKKGiwwA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTcwNTtoPTUyOC44NDc0Mjk1MTkwNzEz/https://media.zenfs.com/en/business_insider_articles_888/783ebc58832b893f209b219e4253a598
A screenshot of Disney's "Realistic and Interactive Robot Gaze" YouTube video as the robot "glances." Disney Research
This is done by copying several complex human responses to new interactions and movements.

The robot has all the components of a human face, such as eyelids, eyes, a nose, and a mouth with teeth and gums.

https://sneed.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/hYmW1zGsvI2ca9C3N_8oxQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTcwNTtoPTUyOC41NTczNzcwNDkxODAz/https://media.zenfs.com/en/business_insider_articles_888/4153a169bcd7eb7b9216a32cb592bf5f
A screenshot of Disney's "Realistic and Interactive Robot Gaze" YouTube video. Disney Research
The robot relies on a camera sensor on its torso.

The robot can mimic human-like actions like tilting its head, blinking, rapid eye movements, and breathing, to name a few functions.

The copying of these basic functions gives the robot its ability to look human-like without being verbal.

"Given the importance of gaze in social interactions as well as its ability to communicate states and shape perceptions, it is apparent that gaze can function as a significant tool for an interactive robot character," the study states.

https://sneed.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/Z3iKRxlhYKXNSkM_xfW3PQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTcwNTtoPTUyOC42NTY-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/business_insider_articles_888/75ad778156ef60dbcf1be5cc32b7c044
Disney Research's new robot with a human-like gaze. Disney Research
No human maintains perfect eye contact consistently. Therefore, Disney's new robot doesn't either.

The eye gaze implementation is a part of the company's goal to create robots that can interact with people in a realistic manner by using what Disney calls "the illusion of life."

https://sneed.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/7rPHFVf8ZTF0R7RD9v457w--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTcwNTtoPTUyOC40NjAyNzM5NzI2MDI3/https://media.zenfs.com/en/business_insider_articles_888/7711e492dc2e1c19d961195051c60003
A screenshot of Disney's "Realistic and Interactive Robot Gaze" YouTube video. Disney Research
In this case, the "illusion of life" is a combination of "robot gaze, animation, and show," which is important because the robot will serve as different Disney characters.

This particular robot's gaze also has different behavioral states that make it more interactive: read, glance, engage, and acknowledge.

https://sneed.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/63f.G23tsjSAyaGkgZY_5Q--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTcwNTtoPTM1Mi41/https://media.zenfs.com/en/business_insider_articles_888/b55a36273501b69de49034ce762bbe13
A screenshot of Disney's "Realistic and Interactive Robot Gaze" YouTube video. Disney Research
For example, the "read" state is its default and has eye movements that make it appear as if it's reading a book at its torso. Meanwhile, the "engage" state means the robot is looking at a "person-of-interest" with movements in both its eyes and head.

The robot fluctuates between the states depending on its "curiosity score" of the stimuli.

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Clearly someone doesn't know what the uncanny valley is, because they found it and dug right deeper

 

[Jonah Hill poster]

Would have been nice if they made an animatronic robot version of Walt Disney instead

I don't know why they're bothering to mimic realistic gazes when all Disney fans are autistic manbabies at this point. It's just going to make them nervous and steal their girlfriends.

What if their girlfriends are paying attention to Baby Yoda instead of them?

Since they’re Star Wars fans and all?

 

[Saw the tables of tyranny]

So let me get this straight, Disney is The Institute and we are well on our way to civil war or nuclear war. Fallout 4 IRL saga incoming?

 

[s0mbra]

Everyones freaking out but I kinda like him.
He looks so depressed though. like hes just trying to read and some assholes keep interrupting him but he's too nice to tell them to fuck off.
I want to tell him he's doing a great job...l-looking at people?

edit: how long until us lonely fuckers can get waifubots?

 

[Begemot]

I feel that it's planning to kill me.

What if it's planning to rape you, lad?

I can see robot fetishists lining up to run a train on our coy metallic hoe.

 

[Roast Chicken]

I like technological progression but my inner cavewoman is telling me this thing is bad and that we should burn it.

 

[Marissa Moira]

I like technological progression but my inner cavewoman is telling me this thing is bad and that we should burn it.

Once our glorious and fair robot overlords revoke the pussy passes from all women, they'll be begging to be back in the kitchen.

 

[Atatata]

Well, I think this is neat. People are absolute doomers when it comes to robots.

 

[melty]

I wonder if the intervals of the blinks are based on the Fourier series.

 

[Eris!]

I am increasingly of the opinion that we should kill all the scientists.

 

[frozenrunner]

But can you fuck it?

 

[jje100010001]

Needs to be seen in motion for the full effect. It's honestly pretty impressive, the slight movements of the eye do a lot to make it seem less creepy despite the exposed skull.

Yeah, not as bad as it looks at first glance. Looks like a synth from Fallout, or some sci-fi Android.

Animatronics are scary only because of their janky movements combined with the concessions in realism required for the mechanical elements.

 

[Devyn]

Needs to be seen in motion for the full effect. It's honestly pretty impressive, the slight movements of the eye do a lot to make it seem less creepy despite the exposed skull.

The still photos made me think of this:

Seeing the Disney animatronic in motion is definitely less creepy than expected, but unless they can one day replicate the qualities of human flesh, eyes and motion perfectly (they can't), these robots will always be unsettling and just "off", regardless of how close they get to looking like the actual thing. As others have pointed out, the Uncanny Valley is real

 

[Haramburger]

So the furbinator is real then



You can't steal what they don't have

by "girlfriend" he means "state appointed tard wrangler" and by "love" he means "work attention."

 

[ToroidalBoat]

Is everything of Current Year America creepy or circus-like?

 

[gangweedfan]

They were probably too focused on the eyes to make a robot that doesnt look awful.

 

[Gaymead]

Actually it was Scott's last ditch effort to make a game because people called his art style creepy and dead so if the game didn't do better, he'd quit game development because he kept tanking.

But still, not meant to be an instruction manual. I wouldn't be surprised if spirits from the ashes people threw in there would be haunting them.

Cawthorn should have quit while he was ahead in order to spare us of the autism, cringe, cancer, and all the other bullshit he brought upon us TBQHWY.

 

[Agent Abe Caprine]

Perhaps these lifelike animatronics staring at riders will discourage people from trying to fuck on the rides. There are lots of stories from cast members about that.

Exhibitionists will feel encouraged.

 

[Screw Danlon]

So this is how they plan to make sure Biden doesn’t die in office. Too bad they finished it too late for Ruth Bader Ginsbot.

 

[Agent Abe Caprine]

But can you fuck it?

If there's a hole, there's a way.

 

[Redeemer and Destroyer]

It's judging me and I don't like it.