Sylvain Calinon of LASA (Learning Algorithms and Systems Laboratory,)  has been working with robotics for quite some time. One of the results is the Hoap 3 that can create a portrait and sign it.

“When the robot recognizes a face in its field of view, it first grabs a snapshot of the face and extracts the relevant features and contours characterizing it. The robot then grabs a pen and starts drawing the user’s portrait, starting from the rough contours and adding details iteratively,” Calinon said.

While it a charming thing to watch, somehow it doesn’t have the same appeal as local artists who appreciate onlookers.