Android (robot)

An android is a robot that looks like a person.

Some are made from soft material. This makes them look like real skin.

These robots can do many things. They can blink their eyes. They can even breathe. Some robots can talk to us.

One robot could play music. It used ten fingers to play. Another robot could change its face. It used a mask to look different.

Some robots can sing and dance. They use many joints to move. They can even show feelings. This makes them act like people.

Scientists are building more robots now. They might help us at home. They could even be our friends.

An android is a robot that looks like a person.

Many are made from soft, flesh-like material. This helps them look very real. Some people call a female robot a gynoid.

Long ago, androids were only in stories. Now, science lets us make them in real life. In 1972, a robot named WABOT-1 was built. It was the first full-scale humanoid robot. It could walk and use hands to hold things. Later, WABOT-2 was made. It had ten fingers and could play the organ.

New robots can do even more. A robot named EveR-1 was built in South Korea. She has a body made of synthetic jelly silicon. She has 60 joints to show feelings. She can also sing and dance. Another robot, WD-2, uses a special mask. It can change its face to look like a person.

Scientists hope these robots will help us at home or in offices soon.

An android is a robot designed to look like a human.

Many are built using soft, flesh-like materials to mimic skin. While the term android is used for any human-looking robot, a female robot is often called a gynoid. Some people use the word anthrobot to describe these machines. This helps avoid confusion with organic species in science fiction. These machines are amazing because they try to copy how we move and act.

How these robots work depends on their design. Some use a system of air pressure to move smoothly. This is called an air servosystem, and it helps them move without making much noise. Other robots use many small motors to change their faces. For example, the WD-2 robot uses 17 facial points to change its expression. Each point has three degrees of freedom, which means it can move in different directions. This allows the robot to copy a specific person's face using a 3D scanner.

Humans have been dreaming of androids for a very long time. The word first appeared in a book called the Cyclopaedia in 1728. Later, the term was used in US patents as early as 1863. For many years, androids only lived in science fiction stories. Authors like Auguste Villiers de l'Isle-Adam wrote about them in 1886. In the 1940s, stories helped people see the difference between mechanical robots and fleshy androids. This long history shows our deep interest in making machines that look like us.

Many important projects have brought androids into the real world. In 1972, Waseda University in Japan finished WABOT-1. It was the first full-scale humanoid robot that could walk and grip objects. By 1984, they made WABOT-2, which had ten fingers and could play the organ. In South Korea, scientists made EveR-1 to show human emotions. She has 60 artificial joints and a body made of synthetic jelly silicon. She can even sing and dance while using her facial muscles.

Today, we see androids being used for many different jobs. Some are designed to be social robots like Nadine in Singapore. She might act as a personal assistant in a home or office. Other robots, like EDGAR, allow a person to control the robot's face from far away. We even see AI androids like Maria Bot helping as teachers at universities. As technology grows, these machines may become common companions for the young and the elderly. They show how science can turn old stories into real life.

An android is a humanoid robot or an artificial being designed to resemble a human.

These machines often use flesh-like materials to mimic human skin and appearance. While the term "robot" usually refers to mechanical beings, the word "android" specifically highlights a human-like form. Some scientists use the term "anthrobot" to describe these machines without focusing on gender. This distinction helps avoid confusion with organic human-like species in science fiction. Androids represent a fascinating intersection of robotics and human biology.

The way an android moves and interacts depends on its specific mechanical design. Some advanced models, like the DER2, use an "air servosystem" to move. This system uses air pressure to control actuators, which results in very fluid, quiet movement. Other robots rely on complex motor systems to change their facial expressions. For example, the WD-2 robot uses a mask made of a highly elastic material called Septom. This mask contains 17 facial points, each having three degrees of freedom.

By using a 3D scanner, researchers can program these points to copy a specific human face.

Researchers categorize androids in several ways based on their physical composition. Eric G. Wilson identifies three distinct types of synthetic human beings. The first is the "mummy type," which is made of inanimate materials like puppets or statues. The second is the "golem type," which uses flexible or organic materials. The third is the "automaton type," which consists of a mix of living and dead parts. In fiction, the definition varies even more widely. Some stories describe androids as purely mechanical, while others portray them as wholly organic, artificial creations.

The concept of the android has a long history spanning several centuries. The earliest recorded use of the term "Androides" appeared in Ephraim Chambers' 1728 Cyclopaedia. By the late 1700s, elaborate mechanical devices resembling humans were displayed in exhibit halls.

The term appeared in US patents as early as 1863 to describe miniature toy automatons. Modern science fiction helped popularize the distinction between mechanical robots and fleshy androids. Authors like Jack Williamson and Edmond Hamilton played major roles in this cultural shift. Today, terms like "droid" or "cyborg" have emerged to describe different types of artificial beings.

Many significant engineering milestones have shaped modern android development. In 1972, Waseda University in Japan completed WABOT-1, the first full-scale humanoid intelligent robot. This machine featured a limb control system that allowed it to walk and grip objects. By 1984, the improved WABOT-2 could play the organ using its ten fingers. In South Korea, the EveR-1 model was developed to emulate human emotions. EveR-1 is built with highly advanced synthetic jelly silicon and features 60 artificial joints.

This allows the robot to sing and dance while maintaining realistic facial expressions.

Today, androids are being developed for specialized social and educational roles. In Singapore, the social robot Nadine uses software similar to digital assistants like Siri. She is designed to serve as a personal assistant or a companion for the elderly. Another project, EDGAR, uses tele-presence technology to allow a remote user to control a robot's expressions in real time. In the United States, the AI android Maria Bot serves as a teaching assistant at the university level. These various applications show how robotics is moving from laboratory research into daily human life.

As technology advances, the relationship between humans and androids continues to evolve. South Korea has even planned "robot cities" to support large-scale research and development. These cities may include exhibition halls and stadiums for robot competitions. To manage this growth, countries are creating ethics charters to establish rules for human-robot interaction. These guidelines aim to prevent the abuse of robots and ensure safe standards for manufacturers. The study of androids connects mechanical engineering, computer science, and social ethics into one complex field.