20 Jul 2006, Kyoto, Japan --- Robotics scientist Dr. Hiroshi Ishiguro poses with "Geminoid," a prototype of a Doppelganger-type android, modeled after himself, at the ATR Intelligent Robotics and Communication Laboratories. Geminoid, named after the twin gods Gemini, is the first android to be modeled after a real person, which includes subtle body movements and personality traits of the individual. The android will be used to research questions such as how to capture, revive, and transmit a living person's "sense of presence," or atmosphere, into an android "twin." The results of the study will increase our understanding of human nature, and enable androids to achieve a higher level of interaction with human beings, according to Dr. Ishiguro. The Osaka University professor plans to use the Geminoid as a "stand-in" during remote conferences and meetings. | Location: Keihanna Science City, Kyoto, Japan. --- Image by © Everett Kennedy Brown/epa/Corbis