Human-like robot Ameca interacts with visitors at Dubai’s Museum of the Future

Visitors at Dubai’s Museum of the Future, which aims to be at the forefront of advanced tech, can now interact with a humanoid robot called Ameca that uses AI to greet people, tell jokes and give information about the venue.

Ameca, developed by UK robotics company Engineered Arts, has a grey face that is eerily human looking. It can also make different facial expressions, like frowning, grinning, winking, and pursing its lips.

It can track movement in the room and has facial-recognition technology but it can't walk yet, although reports say the company is working on this aspect.

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In the musem, it is stationed outside the ‘Tomorrow Today’ exhibition, behind a barrier in front of which is a microphone. Visitors can speak into the mic and talk to Ameca in several languages.

On social media, the museum announced: "Ameca, the most advanced Humanoid Robot in the world joins the Museum of the Future team."

“This robot is very unique in its stance because it uses artificial intelligence in way of understanding people's questions and responding to them,” Reuters quoted Majed al Mansoori, Deputy Executive Director, Museum of the Future, as saying.

In addition if you look at the robot and its facial expressions, (they) mimic that of a human being - the way it tracks the person the way it looks at it is very unique and very special and we’re very very very excited to have “Ameca” with us here.”

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Alexandre Houtteville, a visitor, remarked: “It’s amazing, you know when you ask a question, she answers me in the eye, I say 'you are so cute', and she says 'you are pretty too', so you know it’s kind of magic.”

The Musuem of the Future explores the future of science, technology and innovation and offers special courses and workshops in various fields related to innovation and technology including robotics and AI.