THE DEVELOPMENT OF robots may be gathering pace now, but while we’re still a bit away from them becoming commonplace, some of them are becoming more lifelike.
A graphic designer in Hong Kong, Ricky Ma, created what he calls the Mark 1 robot by himself. The robot cost him more than €42,700 and took more than a year and a half to develop by himself in his apartment.
The robot can perform basic movements like moving its arms, turning its head and change its facial expressions. Ma built the robot using a 3D printed skeleton, where 70% of its body was created using 3D-printed parts.
Ma told Reuters that he modelled the robot on a Hollywood star. He didn’t say who but it bears some similarities to actress Scarlett Johansson.
The robot responds to voice commands so when Ma compliments the robot, saying its beautiful, it’s able to change its facial expressions, say thank you and smile.
Building it also required him to master new topics like electromechanics and programming so it would work properly. While it resulted in much trial and error, it was something he wanted to develop for a long time.
During the process, a lot of people would say things like ‘Are you stupid? This takes a lot of money. Do you even know how to do it? It’s really hard,’” he said. “I figured I should just do it when the timing is right and realise my dream. If I realise my dream, I will have no regrets in life.”
Ma is considering writing a book about his experiences to help other enthusiasts create their own robots and is hoping someone will buy his prototype so he can build more.
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