Well, this is officially the weirdest news story we’ve come across in a while. A Japanese inventor has created the first robot that can actually feel fear.
Yes, we know it doesn’t sound that weird so far, but wait for it…this robot is a pair of mechanical buttocks that quiver when you slap them. Seriously.
The Daily Mail reports that this eh…“innovation” in Japanese robotics proves that it is possible to create robots that can convey emotions. Granted, the emotions that this robotic arse experiences are pretty simple – it can feel fear, joy and relaxation.
“I wanted to try and use a butt to reflect emotions – fear, joy and relaxation,” said Nobuhiro Takahashi, a graduate student from the Tokyo University of Electro-Communication.
“Fear is a very human – very living – emotion, so it’s expressed with force, with a spank,” he added.
The ‘ro-butt’ is made up of silicone stretched over a foam structure. Under the silicone, artificial muscles have been created that can be inflated or deflated to simulate different emotions. There’s also an internal microphone wedged firmly in one of the cheeks, so the ro-butt knows how to react when someone touches it.
While the ro-butt is one of the creepier sides of Japanese robotics, it still doesn’t top the following video. Ladies, meet Japan’s ‘Robot Girlfriend.’ She’s tall, pretty and seriously freaks us out…
