The term humanoid derives from the Greek, meaning human (humanus) and likeness (-oeides). While humanoids were once an element in popular

science fiction, they are now popping up all over the globe in science labs like those at NASA's Johnson Space Center and research

universities like Carnegie Mellon in the U.S. and Waseda in Japan. humanoid : 像人的 pop up 意外地,突然地)出現

As the boundaries between natural and artificial intelligence become as gray as matter itself, we are left to wonder when the day will come

when robotic science fiction will become reality. gray matter (片語) 頭腦;智力

The Japanese Robotics Association estimates the size of the worldwide robotics market to be US$24.9 billion a year now,

more than double what it was worth in 2005, and it is expected to triple to $66.4 billion by 2025.

Japan's aging population has ignited a parade of efforts to design fully functional robots to aid in nursing homes.

Knowing that a companion can relieve stress and elevate mood, researchers at Waseda University in Japan have released Kobian,

an "emotional humanoid robot," to therapeutically promote health for nursing home patients.

parade : 遊行 parade of : 連續不斷的 nursing home : 老人療養院 companion : 同伴(指花很多時間在一起的人) therapeutically : 在治療上;有療效地

Not only does Kobian have full use of his legs and arms, but he also has eyelids, lips and eyebrows so that he can cry,

act happy, sad, surprised and angry.

DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) is one of the leading financial backers for robotics projects in U.S. research labs.

One DARPA-funded project is Boston Dynamics' Big Dog, who runs through the woods on spindly human-like legs but looks like a giant wild dog

and is nearly impossible to knock over. backers : 贊助者 spindly : 細長的 knock over : 撞倒

Another is Robonaut, a robotic astronaut capable of working in outer space, created by the Robot Systems Technology Branch

at NASA's Johnson Space Center. The creators hope that Robonaut will build space stations on the moon or Mars in situations

that might be too dangerous for humans, and that it would ultimately be able to interface with real human space colonists.

Robonaut : 美國國家太空總署太空機器人 interface : 連繫, 共事 colonists殖民地開拓者

In 1970, Japanese roboticist Mashahiro Miro introduced the "uncanny valley" hypothesis, which states that humanoid robots that

act like humans cause deeply disturbing feelings in human observers. As we walk down the uncanny valley,

we face both our greatest sci-fi fears and wildest dreams. Will there one day be a world where our wars are fought by robots?

Where robotic personalities are so lifelike that people try to marry robots, adopt robot children and have robot friends?

roboticist : 機器人專家 uncanny valley : 詭異谷 disturbing : 煩惱不安 sci-fi : science fiction 科幻小說

What is it about their supernatural resemblance to humans that makes us feel so queasy? Robots that look real, feel real and

move like real people may bring our fantasies too close for comfort--or we may feel that our very human existence is threatened.

supernatural 超自然的,神奇的 queasy 不安的 fantasy 幻想 too close for comfort 太接近而感到不舒服

But at the end of the day, would you feel disturbed watching a robot do your laundry, wash your clothes and make dinner--

or relieved? Rosie and C-3PO, move over, the real robots are here.