Doing the Robot: Marionette Mannequin Mimics Movements

Imagine walking past a clothing store only to see someone in the window of that store aping your every movement. You’d probably be a bit annoyed until you realized it was just a mannequin that had somehow managed to gain the power to move around. United Arrows, a Japanese clothing store, has introduced Marionettebot to the world.

Marionettebot is a mannequin attached to 16 wires and a specialized motor, which is how it is able to mimic the movements of passersby. The robotic mannequin “sees” through a Kinect camera and is then able to make movements similar to the humans walking by. Although the mannequin isn’t quite limber enough to be a perfect mirror to humans, it is rather effective at amusing those humans.