Hanson Robotics Building a Robotic Pinocchio

In the classic Disney movie Pinocchio, when the puppet master Geppetto got bored and lonely, he made himself a little boy out of wood to call his son. After a great adventure, Pinocchio became a real boy thanks to the wonders of magic. In this great day and age, scientists and robot creators wanted to replicate the same event. Unfortunately, they have to do so without fairies and magic. And so, they approached project Zeno from a scientific standpoint. Zeno's goals are lofty. When complete, Zeno will be able to walk, engage in human conversation, and convey human emotion. At the moment, Zeno cannot walk or talk, but he can blink and track human movement. Zeno has a particular advantage over previous robot companions such as Asimo: a patented chemical nicknamed "frubber". Frubber has the remarkable ability to replicate skin, and with the help of some robotics, human emotion. In other words, when complete, Zeno's skin will be able to change color with temperature and mood.