Disney robot that has no skin is breakthrough in recreating the 'illusion of life'

Disney has developed a skinless robot that can copy the movements of real humans.

The terrifying machine can imitate human actions, specifically blinking and copying subtle head movements.

These can include subtly nodding and moving as it ‘breathes’ in and out, or tiny eye movements – behaviour that a normal human being would never notice themselves doing because they are so miniscule.

The robot was developed to make Disney’s animatronics more realistic, helping them create the “illusion of life”, according to a paper from Walt Disney Imagineering.