The robot co-stars alongside a human in the film 'Sayonara' set in the aftermath of a deadly nuclear power plant meltdown in Japan.

 

The android, called Geminoid F, was designed to look and act like a human with rubber 'skin' and a woman's face - but it is unable to walk and is wheeled around in the film.

 

Geminoid F - or Leona in the film - is referred to by director Koji Fukada as an 'actress,' and the android is even listed as a member of the cast in the end credits.

 

While robots have featured prominently in many films, most are played by real actors or created using visual effects.

 

Geminoid F was produced by Hiroshi Ishiguro, a renowned¹ robot designer at Osaka University in western Japan, whose androids come with a £776,000 price tag.

 

Geminoid F was cheaper - just £72,000, which Ishiguro hopes may take the technology closer to the mainstream².

 

She can smile, furrow³ her brows and move her mouth. It can also talk and sing - playing recordings⁴, or 'mouthing' other people's voices.

 

The robot is equipped with motorised actuators, powered by air pressure, which allow her to 'copy' human facial expressions. In the film, it is controlled remotely from a laptop.

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