Photo/Illutration “EVAL-03” can mimic the movements of human beings. It is on display at the “Kimi to Robot" (You and Robots) exhibition at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan) in Tokyo's Odaiba district. (Nobuo Fujiwara)

A special interactive exhibit where advanced robots mimic the behavior of human beings is posing deep questions to its visitors about what exactly makes us human.

The exhibit, titled “Kimi to Robot" (You and Robots), was organized by the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan), The Asahi Shimbun and TV Asahi Corp. It opened at the museum in the Odaiba district in Tokyo on March 18.

It features 130 robots ranging across 90 types, themed on the question, “What are human beings?”

One of the robots, “EVAL-03,” which was manufactured by Sony Corp., is being showcased for the first time. The humanoid robot, which stretches 30 meters high, can mimic the movements of human beings that were captured on camera.

It also features wearable robots. One of them, which looks just like an animal’s tail, moves in synch with the person wearing it. It aims to extend the innate body functions of its wearer by creating expressive gestures.

Visitors can also do hands-on experiments with some of the robots. For example, “nekomimi,” a headband with cat ears manufactured by NeuroSky Co., reads the wearer’s brain waves and moves its ears or meows corresponding to their mood.

The exhibition also showcases robots with human-like abilities.

It features an android capable of discussing various topics, such as eating bread or rice is a better choice for breakfast. Another is a “digital clone” of a human being, in which artificial intelligence tries to replicate aspects of a given person’s ideas or values.

The exhibition will run through Aug. 31.

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