Practice robot for dentists winces, gags and drools just like a person

We've seen creepy dental practice 'bots from Japan before, though this one gives us the heebie-jeebies even more than the last one. Called "Hanako," the robot is a collaboration between the experts at Tmsuk and several Japanese universities, and is designed to simulate a patient's response to questions and dental work.

Hanako will respond when greeted and asked several questions, and will react to the dental student working on its mouth. She can open and close her mouth when ordered, perform random actions such as a sneeze and even discharge saliva. Touch sensors in her mouth will have her wincing in pain if a press is too hard or an instrument goes somewhere it shouldn't, or gag violently if things go south.

Better a 'bot than a real person for clumsy dental students to practice on, I guess. Thanks, Hanako! See it in action in the video below.

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