This is vaguely disturbing:

Noonien Soong must be so proud.

From a report at CNet:

Organizers were billing the event as the first of its kind in the world, and I can’t recall another example of a humanoid robot showing off wedding apparel in a fashion show.

It also demonstrated how the Japanese continue to nurture a playful spirit in their approach to robotics. While other countries are building Terminator-style killing machines, Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) created 4C to work in the “entertainment industry.” Perhaps a dubious use of funds by a deeply indebted state, the project was announced with the admission that “(1) robots walking on two feet only have little commercial value, (2) the unit price is very high, and (3) if it falls, it may be seriously damaged.”

AIST acknowledges the annual market for humanoid machines is small, to the tune of $21 million. So why build this expensive toy bride? I think the best answer is that 4C, which communicates, looks and moves like a Japanese woman and overcomes the dreaded Uncanny Valley effect, is a worthwhile exploration of future human-robot relationships. Pundits including Daniel Levy have written about our future love affairs with robots, and 4C in her floral gown is a provocative harbinger of human-machine integration.

It’s pretty astonishing. I could never bring myself to spend the money on a Sony AIBO, but one of my coworkers got one, and it was one of the coolest things ever.

H/T: Silicon Alley Insider