Why realistic humanoid robots need to learn to lip-sync

In this week's episode of the Science Focus Podcast, commissioning editor Jason Goodyer speaks to Dr Carl Strathearn, a research fellow at the School of Computing at Edinburgh Napier University.

He's currently conducting research on realistic humanoid robots, specifically on more realistically synchronising their speech and mouth movements.

He tells us about how to get robots out of the Uncanny Valley, why the way a robot looks is so important, and why Data from Star Trek is an inspiration for his work.

• Read an edited excerpt from this interview

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• Read the full transcription of this episode [this will open in a new window]

Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:

• How virtual reality is helping patients with phobias, anxiety disorders and more
• Dr Pete Etchells: Do video games encourage gambling behaviour?
• Rana el Kaliouby: What if computers could read our emotions?
• Ritu Raman: Can you build with biology?
• Dr Erin Macdonald: Is there science in Star Trek?
• Robert Elliott Smith: Are algorithms inherently biased?

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