Ever asked a question and been met with a blank stare? It’s awkward enough with a person—but on a humanoid robot, it can be downright unsettling. Now, an international team co-led by Hiroshima University and RIKEN has found a fix: giving androids a “thinking face.” Their study reveals that when robots squint and furrow their brow while processing information, they appear more relatable, easing the eerie discomfort we feel with artificial beings that look almost, but not quite, human—known as the “uncanny valley” effect.
That ‘uhh… let me think’ face you make? Androids need it too
-
HighlightsFree Dark Web Monitoring Stamps the $17 Million Credentials Markets
-
HighlightsSmart buildings: What happens to our free will when tech makes choices for us?
-
AppsScreenshots have generated new forms of storytelling, from Twitter fan fiction to desktop film
-
HighlightsDarknet markets generate millions in revenue selling stolen personal data, supply chain study finds
-
SecurityPrivacy violations undermine the trustworthiness of the Tim Hortons brand
-
Featured HeadlinesWhy Tesla’s Autopilot crashes spurred the feds to investigate driver-assist technologies – and what that means for the future of self-driving cars
