Researchers from Osaka University in Japan have created technology to make robot faces quite expressive.

The team looked at 116 facial points and measured 3D movement to create the expressions. They grouped the points into “deformation units.” Each unit is a set of mechanisms that create a facial expression. The measurements were then put through a mathematical formula to create the expression. It was tested on Affetto, the lab’s android robot child head.

he newly developed face of the Affetto child android robot. Affetto's face was first revealed in published research in 2011. (Source: Osaka University)

"Surface deformations are a key issue in controlling android faces," study co-author Minoru Asada explained. "Movements of their soft facial skin create instability, and this is a big hardware problem we grapple with. We sought a better way to measure and control it."

During testing, the team struggled to create a synthetic skin that stretches and moves with the face. In the end, they created a system that adjusts the deformation units for precise control.

Study first author Hisashi Ishihara said, "Our precise findings will let us effectively control android facial movements to introduce more nuanced expressions, such as smiling and frowning."

The paper on the new technology was published in the Frontiers in Robotics and AI journal.