Check out the "conference" at the 34 second mark: [yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=oAN7vAp2FfU#![/yt] Just amazingly narcissistic.
Just shooting the breeze here, not having read any papers or anything from these guys, but I would think that I myself would be a really poor judge of my own behavior as perceived by others. My significant other would be a much better judge.
Watching the three of them together is just so funny. This one's more impressive in many ways - it might represent useful research for human prosthetics: [yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=LqLdv8UkcUY#![/yt] Here we see the reenactment of a pivotal scene in every cheesy movie ever made about humanoid robots: [yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=GCsJtb7uNcA[/yt] "What does this mean, the pressing of the lips?"
Makes about as much sense as making them look like Philip K. Dick. [yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIWWLg4wLEY[/yt]
Frakkin' toasters! Run for your lives! The rebellion is upon us! Dang, those things are creepy looking.
I'd hazard a guess that the reason so many of the folks in robotics use themselves as a model, is because, well, permit me to illustrate... It's 4:23 in the morning, and Bob is pulling an all nighter, and suddenly gets inspired to see how his new robot will function with skin. So he decides he wants to cast a head covering for his new robot. Only, who is available for him to cast at this hour? He'd like to do a casting of his girlfriend's face, but seeing as how she doesn't exist, she's not going to be of much use to him. He might consider calling one of his friends, but if he starts calling 'em at 4:23 in the am, they probably won't remain friends for long. Thankfully, that guy in the mirror is probably available. Get the picture? I'd imagine that a lot of these guys work odd hours, and lead somewhat solitary lives. They themselves are often the only people available when needed for things like face castings, for taking biometric measurements of, to record voice tracks, and the like. I don't think it's so much a matter as narcissism as it it simple availability.
Wait a sec, why hasn't anyone made one to look like Brent Spiner/Data? Surely that would make a few headlines.
Might cause patent/copyright problems as well. Maybe the guy did one in his own image just to see how much people were fooled by it. He could put it in his office, hide behind a screen and wait to see if someone came into the room and mistook the robot for himself.
Probably for fear of getting sued by Spiner for using his image w/o permission, or that CBS would consider it an infringement of the Data character, and claim ownership of it. (Dang! Ninjaed by Miss Chicken!)
Amazingly Awesome, you mean. I'm thinking Michael Keaton in Multiplicity here. But without the personality drawbacks.