Robot designer and manufacturer Engineered Arts recently released a video of its new robot, Ameca, and it looks shockingly similar to the synthetic humanoids - or "synths" - from Fallout 4. Bethesda's action-RPG hit shelves in 2015, bringing the synth-creating antagonist of The Institute into the limelight.
Synths are a major part of Fallout 3 and Fallout 4. There are multiple generations of synths, each one more human-like than the last. Third Generation synths are the most human-like, even down to having organs and memories based on programmed code. In the game, they are dangerous and difficult to defeat in some cases. They appear most often as enemies, but can sometimes act as a companion to the player. A particularly beloved character and companion in Fallout 4 is Nick Valentine, a synth who works as a detective and helps the Sole Survivor on their quest to find their lost son. He is witty and always knows how to put a positive spin on any given situation, which is why he is often a welcomed addition to quests - especially because he can hack his way into almost any computer.
In a recent video, Engineered Arts showed-off their latest creation known as Ameca. Ameca is a robot that not only possesses human-like artificial intelligence, but now also a human-like appearance. Viewers can see the robot open its eyes in surprise and look around the room. It looks at its hand in awe, appearing to be in the midst of processing its surroundings and physical capabilities. Ameca also appears to experience surprise when recognizing it is being filmed - a shockingly human expression. That said, Ameca's grayish-white color scheme, smooth extremities and exposed robotic body parts look closely similar to Fallout 3's and Fallout 4's synths - the latter of which have near-identical features to those of Ameca. Though Ameca resembles a second-generation Fallout synth more than a third-generation synth, it appears as though these robots are becoming more human-like with each generation.
Engineered Arts is no stranger to making impressive robots. They have experience creating different types of humanoid creations that have varying levels of functionality, and appears to be working toward even more advanced artificial intelligence. In Fallout, players and NPCs have difficulty determining whether or not a character might be a synth because they tend to be realistic in appearance - with the arrival of Ameca, perhaps real-life robots are heading in that direction.
When looking at Ameca, it's hard not to immediately imagine a synth. There are so many similarities between the robot and the Fallout 4 characters, it is worth wondering whether Fallout provided some inspiration behind Ameca's design. The Fallout series spans the 21st, 22nd and 23rd centuries; so, perhaps, the world is not too far from seeing its in-game technology brought into real-life.
Source: Engineered Arts, Engineered Arts/YouTube