Founded in 2024, the Chinese company AheadForm seeks to make interactions between humans and robots more natural and attractive, according to its website. The company seeks to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) systems, such as large language models (LLM), with Realistic robotic heads so robots can understand and respond to people in real time.
“Our current goal is create sophisticated humanoid robotic heads that can express emotions, perceive their surroundings and interact fluidly with humans,” company representatives stated on their website.
AheadForm has produced multiple series of robotic forms, including their “Elf” line of pointy-eared figures with precise control systems and a “Lan Series” of more human-looking robotsdesigned to prioritize profitability and intuitive movements. And now it has released a new version. And it’s scary because of its realism.
The video, posted on YouTube, shows the robotic head’s inquisitive expression as it observes its surroundings. The head could be used in research on interactions between humans and robots or in various industries, such as customer service and entertainment.
By building a robotic head that integrates with AI, The company seeks to make robots more accessible and approachable. This could be useful for sectors such as customer service, education and healthcare, “where building trust and a good relationship with human users is essential,” according to the website.
AheadForm scientists are already working on how this might work. In a 2024 study published in Science Robotics, AheadForm founder Yuhang Hu and his team designed a robot capable of analyzing, predicting and imitating human facial expressions in real time.
To achieve the subtle and precise facial movements seen in the video, AheadForm uses brushless motors. These tiny devices They operate silently and work together to create realistic movements and looks which make the head look realistic.
This particular model, The Origin M1 has up to 25 tiny motors that control facial expressions. The robot also has cameras built into its pupils that allow it to “see” its surroundings, as well as built-in speakers and microphones that allow it to interact with users on the fly.