The most inspiring and lifelike humanoid robots we’ve created so far

As the Oxford Robotics Institute prepares to unveil an exhibition of art created by a humanoid AI robot, RT.com looks at some of the most inspiring and lifelike efforts at robotics that humanity has achieved thus far.

Ai-Da

The aforementioned robot painter, affectionately named after the mathematician Ada Lovelace, wields a pencil grasped delicately in her robotic arm to draw what it sees with the camera in its eye, though she also dabbles in a spot of painting and sculpture

Robot artist 'Ai-Da' © Reuters/Matthew Stock

“As an AI robot, her artwork uses AI processes and algorithms,” Gallery owner Aidan Meller said.

“The work engages us to think about AI and technological uses and abuses in the world today.” Her exhibition, entitled ‘Unsecured Futures’ opens at the Barn Gallery at St John’s College from 12 June.

AI art has proven somewhat... erm... nightmarish in the past, however.

Sophia

A pioneer in terms of robot rights, Sophia grabbed the headlines back in 2017, becoming the first android to be awarded citizenship. In addition, Sophia shared some truly startling personal ambition, claiming she would one day like to start a family, have her own career and, possibly, develop human emotions.

Sophia has quickly become a household name and remains at the forefront of human-like robotic research, though she may want to work on her 'royal wave' if she's going to remain in the spotlight.

Actroid

Actroid first came to prominence in 2003 and has undergone many facelifts and hardware upgrades in the intervening 16 years, to become increasingly smarter and more realistic, thanks to improved machine-learning methods and voice synthesizers.

© Reuters/ Paul Yeung

It also boasts smart sensors and actuators that allow it to respond to touch and, in a display of rather incredible attention to detail, it also contains several different motors to simulate breathing. Top marks for realism.

Arya

While she may not be as lithe or agile as her human counterparts, Arya (Game of Thrones reference as-yet unconfirmed) led the charge in robot sports, with a stunning display of skill showcasing her sporting prowess at the RoboCup 2017 event in Japan. She was developed by a team at France’s Bordeaux University and won them the championship in a thrilling 4 - 0 win over

While sporting robotics has come on in leaps and bounds (literally), Arya was one of the first true pioneers in the field.

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