He won't say her name but this robot, built by 42-year-old Hong Kong graphic designer Ricky Ma, looks a lot like Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson.

(Bobby Yip/Reuters)

(Bobby Yip/Reuters)

Ma named it Mark 1.

Whatever he calls her, or it, Ma says he grew up watching robots in cartoons and has realized a childhood dream by successfully constructing his own from scratch, mostly on the patio of his Hong Kong home.

(Bobby Yip/Reuters)

These are sketches Ma said he did as a child.

(Bobby Yip/Reuters)

It took a year-and-a-half and over $50,000 US to build.

The life-sized humanoid creation is made from a 3D printed skeleton wrapped in silicone skin and features face and colour-tracking eyes. The robot responds to pre-programmed verbal commands spoken into a microphone.

(Bobby Yip/Reuters)

His method was one of trial and error.

Ma recounted encountering obstacles ranging from frequently-fried electric motors to the robot losing its balance and toppling over. Those hurdles did not stop him, though.

"I figured I should just do it when the timing is right and realize my dream. If I realize my dream, I will have no regrets in life," said Ma in an interview with Reuters. He also reported not knowing anything about 3D printing or robotics before embarking on the project.

(Bobby Yip/Reuters)

'No man is an island…'

Ma's journey of creation was a lonely one, however. He said he did not know of anyone else in Hong Kong who builds humanoid robots as a hobby and few of the people he talked to about his project understood his ambition.

"During this process, a lot of people would say things like, 'Are you stupid? This takes a lot of money. Do you even know how to do it? It's really hard,'" Ma said.

(Bobby Yip/Reuters)

The importance of robots will only grow.

Ma hopes an investor will give him the capital to build more prototypes and he wants to write a book about his experience, to help other enthusiasts.