The robot designer and manufacturer Engineered Arts recently posted a video of his new robot, Ameca, which looks strikingly similar to the synthetic humanoids, or “synths,” from Fallout 4. Bethesda’s action-RPG game hit stores in 2015, putting The Institute’s antagonist and synth-maker on the radar.
Synths are an important part of Fallout 3 and Fallout 4. There are several generations of synths, each one more human-like than the last. Third-generation synths are the most human-like, they even have organs and memories based on a programmed code. In the game, they are dangerous and difficult to defeat in some cases. They appear more often as enemies, but can sometimes act as the player’s allies. An especially beloved character and companion in Fallout 4 is Nick Valentine, a synth who works as a detective and assists the Lone Survivor in the search for his lost son. He is resourceful and always knows how to put a positive spin on any situation, which is why he is often a welcome addition to missions, especially since he can hack almost any computer.
In a recent video, Engineered Arts has shown their latest creation, known as Ameca. Ameca is a robot which not only possesses an artificial intelligence similar to that of humans, but now also has a human appearance. Viewers can watch the robot open its eyes in surprise and look around the room. He looks at his hand in amazement and appears to be processing his surroundings and his physical abilities. Ameca also seems surprised to admit that he is being filmed, a surprisingly human expression. That said, Ameca’s grayish-white color scheme, slick limbs, and exposed robotic body parts look a lot like Fallout 3 synths and Fallout 4, the latter with characteristics almost identical to those of Ameca. Although Ameca looks more like a second-generation Fallout synth than a third-generation one, it seems that these robots become more human with each generation.
Engineered Arts is no stranger to creating robots awesome. They have experience in creating different types of humanoid creations with different levels of functionality, and it seems that they are working towards an even more advanced artificial intelligence. On Fallout, players and NPCs have a hard time determining if a character can be a synth because their appearance tends to be realistic; With the arrival of Ameca, maybe real-life robots will go in that direction.
Seeing Ameca, it’s hard not to immediately picture a synth. There are so many similarities between robot and the characters of Fallout 4 One wonders if Fallout served as the inspiration for Ameca’s design. The Fallout series spans the 21st, 22nd, and 23rd centuries, so perhaps the world isn’t too far from seeing in-game technology brought to life.