Moya was unveiled in Zhangjiang Robotics Valley, a district of Shanghai that has become one of China’s robotics centers. DroidUp, also known as Zhuoyide, presented what she describes as “ an expressive and elegantly designed bionic robot », supposed to break with the cold and metallic image of classic humanoids. A promise quickly went viral, with videos to back it up.
A robot that takes care of its appearance
What first strikes you about Moya is her look. Where many humanoid robots display an industrial or vaguely cartoonish aesthetic, this one plays the card of assumed realism. His head is highly modular, customizable according to different traits and even gender. The female version highlighted during the demonstrations is intended to be “ elegant and friendly “, while a male model, still discreet, would evoke a ” force posed ».
Subscribe to WorldOfSoftware
Under the skin, DroidUp pushes mimicry quite far. Moya has an internal structure mimicking muscles, fatty tissue and even a rib cage. Her skin is supple, and above all… warm. But really: the robot maintains a body temperature between 32 and 36°C, a detail designed to make interactions more natural. “ A robot that truly serves human life must be warm, almost like a living being », summarizes Li Qingdu, founder of DroidUp.
In terms of size, Moya measures around 1.68 meters and weighs just over 30 kilos. His approach is announced as “ 92% human “. The missing 8% remain visible with a still somewhat rigid approach, but DroidUp puts things into perspective: the main thing is not in the way you walk, but in the way you communicate.
This is where Moya intends to score points. Thanks to a camera hidden behind its eyes and dedicated artificial intelligence models, the humanoid is able to hold the gaze, smile, nod and produce fine facial micro-expressions. Subtle reactions that humans perceive instinctively, and which make the interaction seem surprisingly fluid, that is, if we’re feeling charitable.
Unsurprisingly, this realism also provokes mixed reactions, to say the least. On Chinese social networks, some hail an impressive technical feat, while others confess a certain uneasiness. Comparisons with androids Westworldjokes about a “walking ghost” or significantly more nervous comments flourished. The famous “uncanny valley” is never far away. For the general public, the question is quickly settled: Moya is not really an impulse purchase. Its Price would be around $173,000, and the first destinations should be specialized establishments rather than private salons.
🟣 To not miss any news on the WorldOfSoftware, follow us on Google and on our WhatsApp channel. And if you love us, .
