February 3, 2012 11:32 am EDT

Hiroshi Ishiguro's android mannequin creeps out Japanese shoppers (video)

If you didn't think mannequins were creepy enough already, maybe this will change your mind. In an attempt to lure shoppers, Japanese department store Takashimiya installed an eerily lifelike interactive robot for its Valentine's window display. The retailer called on robotics guru Hiroshi Ishiguro to provide the humanoid dummy, which can not only wink and yawn as people approach, but also display a range of emotions -- beyond boredom, indifference and oblivious content, we assume. While this was just part of the store's seasonal promotion, it might be a hint at where visual merchandise is going. Whether Ishiguro's model "model" will crossover into more professional roles like her sister, however, is unclear. Want to see that cheeky wink for yourself? Then hit up the video after the break.

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Hiroshi Ishiguro's android mannequin creeps out Japanese shoppers (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Feb 2012 06:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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