Overview

The Robo-C was the first series android that could be ordered with the face of any real person. Promobot made headlines in 2019 with a public offer of 200,000 US dollars for the rights to a person's face and voice. The Robo-C2 is the second generation, with the product page last updated in 2022.

Construction

The robot consists of a head and upper body without legs and stands on a base or behind a counter. The face has 18 moving parts; the press reported 36 degrees of freedom. The manufacturer specifies over 600 micro-expressions. The skin is silicone in human tone, along with a wig; the mechanics remain hidden, and the torso is clothed. Promobot provides no information on sensors, computing core, masses, or weight.

Technology and AI

The Robo-C2 recognizes faces and speaks seven languages. The real distinction lies not in the technology but in the business model: the face was manufactured according to customer specifications, whether as a replica of a historical figure, a company founder, or any commissioning party.

Market Significance

Press reports circulated prices between 20,000 and 50,000 US dollars depending on configuration. Today, however, status is decisive: the company's own product page states multiple times that the humanoid project has been discontinued and no further inquiries are being accepted. This makes the Robo-C2 above all an instructive example that a technically functional android alone does not constitute a sustainable business.