Advanced Humanoid Robotics of Science and Sci-Fi Films, TV, and Comic Books

Human-like operating robots began from a simple sketch of a human being. People pose for artists penciling or painting a unique image with variety of materials. Portraiture art generated interest from classical artists. Vincent Van Gogh’s self-portrait achieved memorable attention. The Mona Lisa, Leonardo De Vici's oil painting arouses a sense of mystery behind her smile. Two-dimensional art inspired the creation of three-dimensional artwork leading to the popularity of sculpture.

Famous people throughout history achieved honor by having their resemblance sculptured in dedication to their memory. Donatello, Michelangelo, and Bernini, all classical artists popularized sculpture, and rendered their own version of an Old Testament character, David.

Popular celebrities often appear as wax figures and are exhibited in wax museums. Capture the likeness of human expression influenced creators of artificial intelligence robotics.

Physical movement integrated with human-like robotic figures popularized animatronics. Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, popular attraction at Disneyland for years, inspired Disney artists to create animatronic attractions such as Pirates of the Caribbean. Haunted House attractions around the world include animatronic figures.

Early science fiction novelists felt fascinated writing about life-like looking robots. Comic book artists enjoyed drawing them. Early Superman comic books frequently showed the man of steel deploy one of many Superman robots while he played mild-mannered Clark Kent and diverted suspicion away from himself. Early Marvel Comic’s Human Torch was not a human being like Johnny Storm of the Fantastic Four, but a human-like inflamed android. The Japanese developed a comic book about an android robot, Astro Boy, designed to behave with human like intelligence and feelings.

Physically handicapped people lose arms, legs, or suffer severe mutilation by accidents. Veterans injured at war rely on advanced technology to produce prosthetic body part replacements. Bionic and realistic silicone body parts are available for qualified people. A person suffering eye impairment may choose an artificial eye instead of a black eye-patch. Currently, scientists experiment with bionic eyes that partially restore people’s vision. Prosthetic body parts emulate limbs natural looking as artificial teeth. Luke Skywalker lost an arm during a light saber battle with Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back, but after the battle, received a natural looking prosthetic replacement. Such technological development innovates the construction of working robots and human form robots.

Isaac Asimov, a classic science fiction novelist loved to write about robots like, I Robot and Robots of the Dawn. He used the term humaniform robot. Recently, robot creationists achieved great strides; they construct life-like robots carrying on conversations. Humaniform development advances with time.

Maria, a young teacher-type, advocate, for mistreated workers, prophesies the coming of a future mediator uniting workers and ruling classes. City master, Fredersen, orders Rotwang, a man with an artificial arm, and robot inventor, to emulate Maria’s likeness into a machine woman, an intention to smear Maria's good name among workers and discourage rebellion. Fredersen becomes duped; Rotwang wants the false Maria to murder his son, Freder, and rule Metropolis. Rotwang abducts Maria, creates her robot look-alike, and delivers it to Fredersen. Freder suffers delirium and hallucinates; he mistakenly thinks Maria embraces his father. Evil Maria shakes-up Metropolis; she incites murderous violence and disharmony among workers.

Freder recuperates, searches the catacombs, faces-off evil Maria, and calls her an impostor. The female robot encourages workers to demolish essential working machines. Fooled workers tag along with evil Maria from the city to machine rooms, and abandon their children. They wreck a Heart Machine that results in city flooding. Authentic Maria sneaks away from Rotwang's house. Freder and Josaphat help her rescue children. Manic depressive workers think the flood kills their children, and seek revenge by burning evil Maria at the stake. Freder realizes deception; he eye-witnesses a fire expose a metallic machine. Rotwang had lost Hel, the name of Feder’s deceased mother to Frederson, and pursues Maria to the cathedral roof. Freder engages him into a life and death battle above street spectators, Fredersen and workers stand in the street. Rotwang plunges to his doom. Freder engages a hand grip union with Fredersen and Grot, (Heart Machine, foreman), which seals his role as mediator.

Science fiction stories about advanced technological robots inspire scientists to develop actual working robots and prosthetic body parts. Robotics has long been considered a valuable technological field to solve complex problems. Police investigation, war commanders, and space exploration astronauts, can enable robots to physically enter dangerous situations jeopardizing human safety. Bicentennial Man explored the theme of making a human like robot express feelings typical of man, and aspired towards becoming human. Westworld, the film and television series, warns us about the consequences of failing to keep robots under control; carelessness can unleash “false Maria’s,” the female android of Fritz Lang’s Metropolis. Artificial prosthetic body parts continue to benefit disabled people. People losing natural arms and legs, are still able to run around the track, and utilize artificial hands to clutch objects.

Additional references

https://www.ancient.eu/Prometheus/

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Pygmalion

https://www.pagebypagebooks.com/Mary_Wollstonecraft_Shelley/Frankenstein/

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/golem/

idmb.com

wikipedia.com