---
title: "Watch: This Is the World’s Most Sophisticated Humanoid Robot"
description: "See new video footage of Erica, Japan's eerily human robot."
date: "2017-05-17"
modified: "2017-05-17"
authors:
  - name: "Tom Ward"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/tomward"
url: "https://futurism.com/watch-this-the-worlds-most-sophisticated-humanoid-robot"
categories:
  - "Artificial Intelligence"
tags:
  - "android"
  - "artificial intelligence"
  - "erica"
  - "humanoid"
  - "robot"
---

# Watch: This Is the World’s Most Sophisticated Humanoid Robot

![robot ai erica android humanoid](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/ericarobot.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: \<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57Maw9Sn89w" target="\_blank"\>The Guardian/Youtube\</a\>\</em\>*

This week, [NatGeo premiered *Year Million*](<http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/year-million/>), a six-part miniseries that explores what our world will look like a million years from now. One exciting part of that future? Artificially intelligent (AI) robots.

\[infographic postid="64240"\]\[/infographic\]

To that end, the series introduces viewers to Erica, the world's most sophisticated humanoid robot to date. She (or it, if you prefer) was produced as part of the [Japanese Science and Technology Agency's (JST)](<http://www.jst.go.jp/>) [Exploratory Research for Advanced Technology (ERATO) project](<https://www.jst.go.jp/erato/en/about/index.html>), a collaboration between [Osaka University](<http://www.osaka-u.ac.jp/en>), [Kyoto University](<http://www.kyoto-u.ac.jp/en>), and the [Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR)](<http://www.atr.jp/index_e.html>).

[*Vox* recently shared](<http://www.blastr.com/2017-5-15/watch-meet-most-sophisticated-android-ever-nat-geos-year-million-series>) two exclusive clips from *Year Million* that summarize Erica's current internal and external state, ponder the questions of what makes humans human, and explore the importance of giving Erica a humanoid appearance rather than a robotic one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=118&v=o_J9kXPEwC8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=117&v=3K65TeB8DnM

ERATO is the highest funded scientific project in Japan, and it is headed up by Hiroshi Ishiguro. [In a mini-documentary by *The Guardian*](<https://youtu.be/57Maw9Sn89w>) that provides a more in-depth look at Erica, exploring the precise technical features that make her tick, Ishiguro said he considers his efforts on the bot "very similar to artistic work. I try to represent humanity in robots."

The underlying question is what constitutes a human is addressed in both *The Guardian* piece and the *Year Million* clips. In the former, Ishiguro asks, "What is the minimal definition of humans?" The answer to this question will no doubt affect any debates concerning robotic ethics. If a mechanical system meets the definition of "human," does it automatically deserve [the same rights as biological humans](<https://futurism.com/sorry-westworld-we-should-be-able-to-torture-robots>)?