Cyclops—An Observing Giant
for considering intelligent life-likeness
Leading Edge Design Corp.
Cyclops is a human-shaped, interactive machine equipped with a flexible
spine
and a single eye.
The spine of Cyclops has a degree of flexibility similar to that of the
human spine;
it is made up of multiple spherical joints controlled by around 50 air
muscles. These
are artificial muscles that move using air pressure. Cyclops’ single
eye, a CCD camera,
is connected to a computer that analyses the images that the eye “sees.”
The
computer then distinguishes specific human-sized moving objects and, controlled
by 32 electromagnetic air valves, Cyclops’ whole body moves and changes
its posture
to track what it sees.
For humans, eye movements can be interpreted as an expression of emotion.
The
eyes help other people to understand one’s thoughts and, even with
limited eye
movement, people can perceive complex feelings. Hence, the psychological
effect
of Cyclops’ eye movements on the audience illustrates an important
area of development
for the design of future intelligent machines.
Cyclops’ backbone has been constructed like that of a human being
to allow it to bend
and twist its body gently. Cyclops was conceived by focusing on the basics
of the
smooth motion of living beings and, therefore, has neither functional
hands nor feet.
Cyclops cannot follow quick moves. If you notice that Cyclops is looking
at you,
try to move slowly. Cyclops does not have the intelligent features to
allow it to be
called a ‘robot.’ However, reflect on the meaning of ‘intelligent
life-likeness’ while
experiencing the appearance and smooth movements of this human-shaped
machine.