Someone built a ‘Scarlett Johansson’ robot from scratch to ‘fulfil a childhood dream’

Harry Readhead

It moves its limbs, nods, bows, and if you tell it it’s beautiful, it replies: ‘Hehe, thank you.’
Ricky, 42, has spent more than $50,000 (£34,000) and a year and a half creating his female robot prototype, Mark 1.

If you tell it it’s beautiful, it replies ‘Hehe, thank you’ (Picture: REUTERS/Bobby Yip)

A 3D-printed skeleton lies beneath its silicone skin, and covers a mechanical and electronic interior.
Ricky, who says few others in Hong Kong understand his hobby, told the Mirror he always liked robots.
‘When I was a child, I liked robots. Why? Because I liked watching animation. All children loved it,’ he said.
‘When I started building it, I realised it would involve dynamics, electromechanics and programming. I have never studied programming, how was I supposed to code?

Most of the robot was 3D-printed (Picture: REUTERS/Bobby Yip)

‘Additionally, I needed to build 3D models for all the parts inside the robot. Also, I had to make sure the robot’s external skin and its internal parts could fit together. When you look at everything together, it was really difficult.’
But Ricky has no regrets about the time or money he invested in Mark 1.
‘I figured I should just do it when the timing is right and realise my dream. If I realise my dream, I will have no regrets in life.’