Definition: humanoid robot

A robot that has the general appearance of a human being. Also called an "android," a humanoid robot has two arms and two legs, and it may verbally communicate with a vocabulary that is ever increasing. In the near future, such robots may look like real humans (see hyperrealistic robot).

Humanoid robots are expected to be widely used in health care and assisted living environments. They can also be used in emergencies to retrieve objects in places that would be extremely hazardous for humans, although industrial robots have been used for that purpose for some time. See Humanichs, robot, android and household robot.

Ameca Modular Robot

With natural motion and human-like facial expressions, Ameca from UK-based Engineered Arts is a modular humanoid robot that is run by the Tritium operating system, which took 12 years to develop. (Image courtesy of Engineered Arts Limited.)