Disney Cloning Human Faces for Theme-Park Robot Guides A stroll into the uncanny valley
We've long known that robots are out to subjugate humankind. They've found a potent ally in Disney, which likewise aspires to global domination. Of course, the company has already established beachheads in its efforts via mind-numbing movies, terrible TV shows and soul-sapping theme parks. Now, it ups the ante with "physical face cloning," a process developed at its Swiss research lab as a step toward having animatronic characters interact with humans at Disney theme parks. Real faces are scanned and recast as highly detailed 3-D computer models. These are used to fashion silicon molds that yield pliable synthetic skin. Check out the clip below: Part of the face-making process looks like mixing batter for a cake. A cake of pure evil! (And I don't mean devil's food cake. That's just tasty.) Commenters have made lots of predictable quips. Jokes about Disney working on a line of sex-bots abound. Some pundits have suggested Mitt Romney and/or Paul Ryan are, in fact, animatronic cyborgs. I doubt it. If Disney had created those two, they'd be way more human and lifelike. Second video after the jump.
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