Photographing a Robot Isn't Just Point and Shoot

When Giulio di Sturco takes a portrait, he tries to capture the essence of his subject--what some might call their soul. But that was impossible with his latest subject, Sophia: She doesn't have one. Behind her bright green eyes and soft, glowing skin--made from something called "frubber"--lies an armature of microchips, sensors, and other gadgetry that allow her to blink, smile, and pose for di Sturco's camera. "At first glance you don't know if she's human or not," di Sturco says, "but then you see the details, the brain." The Hong Kong-based company Hanson Robotics first switched Sophia on February 14, 2016.