Humanoid Robots at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Technology

Japanese android expert Hiroshi Ishiguro, left, talks with new talking robot Sota, right, Android robot Otonaroid, second left, and another talking robots CommU, center and second right, during a press event at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation Miraikan in Tokyo Tuesday, January 20, 2015. Ishiguro, the scientist behind the new talking robot in Japan says people should stop expecting robots to understand them, and instead try to chime in with robotic conversations. Ishiguro’s 28-centimer (11-inch) tall button-eyed Sota, which stands for “social talker”, is programmed to mainly talk with a fellow robot, and won’t be trying too hard to understand human speech – the major, and often frustrating, drawback of companion robots. (Photo by Shizuo Kambayashi/AP Photo)

New talking robots Sota, center and right, and another talking robot CommU are shown together during a press event in Tokyo Tuesday, January 20, 2015. (Photo by Shizuo Kambayashi/AP Photo)

New talking robots CommU is held by Osaka University Assistant Prof. Yuichiro Yoshikawa during a press event in Tokyo Tuesday, January 20, 2015 as Android robot Otonaroid, center, another talking robot Sota, right, and two CommU robots are shown. (Photo by Shizuo Kambayashi/AP Photo)

Communication robot “CommU” sit on display during the press conference to introduce the sociable robots, “CommU” and “Sota”, hosted by only the robot science communicator Otonaroid and the robot anchor Kodomoroid at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Technology (Miraikan) on January 20, 2015 in Tokyo, Japan. CommU and Sota, developed to improve humanoids’ sense of interaction in dialogue, make people feel more engaged in conversation with them by featuring diverse eye movements and gaze directions. (Photo by Ken Ishii/Getty Images)

Humanoid robot “Otonaroid” talks with “Kodomoroid” during the press conference to introduce the sociable robots, “CommU” and “Sota” hosted by only the robot science communicator Otonaroid and the robot anchor Kodomoroid at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Technology (Miraikan) on January 20, 2015 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Ken Ishii/Getty Images)