Teaching Robots How To Speak With Their Hands

Using hand gestures when we talk is an ordinary part of communication between humans, adding emphasis and flavor to our speech. It's second nature for us, but can robots be taught to take on such a human-like habit? Now, researchers have found that when humanoid robots talk with their hands, we understand them just as well as we do our fellow human beings. Humanoid robots, or avatars, have been around for several decades and are becoming big business. From artificial intelligence to social media and psychotherapy to high-end video games, they are used to sell things, to solve problems, to teach us and to entertain us. As they become more sophisticated and more sought after, getting your message across with your avatar is becoming more important than ever.