Teachers need not worry about robots replacing them anytime soon, although the latest model, the Saya talking humanoid robot does edge a wee bit closer to such a future. Originally developed as a receptionist robot in 2004 by professor Hiroshi Kobayashi of the Tokyo University of Science, she has been undergoing a recent transformation to function as a substitute teacher. This robot is fluent in multiple languages and uses facial expressions to facilitate communication. She looks like Michael Jackson from an alternate dimension to us, but we suppose that is a minor detail which can be ironed out in the future. Her soft, synthetic skin can be stretched into various positions thanks to an array of motors in her head, and she can’t do much at the moment apart from calling out names (how does she identify rowdy kids in a class of 40?) and shouting orders like “Be quiet!”
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