Japan Unveils Lifelike Female Robot

Developers in Japan unveil what they call a “cybernetic human,” a female robot that can smile, talk and walk. But the creators’ hopes to have the robot work as a fashion model are dashed. “People in the industry told us she was short and had a rather ordinary figure,” says one of the developers.

Developers at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, a government-backed organization, said their “cybernetic human,” shown Monday, wasn’t ready to help with daily chores or work side by side with people — as many hope robots will be able to do in the future.

“Technologically, it hasn’t reached that level,” said Hirohisa Hirukawa, one of the robot’s developers. “Even as a fashion model, people in the industry told us she was short and had a rather ordinary figure.”

For now, the 62.2 inch tall black-haired robot code-named HRP-4C — whose predecessor had weighed 128 pounds — will mainly serve to draw and entertain crowds.