Robots - Pictures, More From National Geographic Magazine

Compressed air flows beneath silicone skin, triggering actuators that raise her arms and lift the corners of her mouth into a demure smile. She seems to compose herself, her eyes panning the room where she stands fixed to a platform, tubes and wires running down through her ankles. She blinks, then turns her face toward me. I can't help but meet her--its--mechanical gaze. "Are you surprised that I'm a robot?" she asks.