Telenoid R1

Next time you log onto Skype for a quick chat with family and friends, you won’t have to imagine their facial expressions, because researchers at Osaka University in Japan have created Telnoid R1, a robot that can “mimic speech and gestures sent to it by video-phone, replicating a distant caller’s presence”.

News.com.au reports today the Robot was built without hair so as to appear of any age and both female and male but what a pity they forgot to make it actually look human -the $40, 000 doll is distinctly alien-looking.

It’s also expected to be used to combat loneliness, especially in the homes of elderly people. Check out this siumlated coversation between a grandfather and his Telenoid grandson in the video below and tell us what you think. Would it be useful or is it just kind of creepy?