Commuters were stopped in their tracks by the sight of two robots travelling on Metro.
But don't worry they were in fact performance artists from Berlin, Germany, who were using their realistic humanoid skins to promote the upcoming Robots – then and now exhibition, which opens at Life Science Centre in Newcastle upon Tyne on Saturday 26 May 2018.
The aim was to give people a glimpse of what our future living and working alongside robots might look like.
Linda Conlon, Chief Executive of Life, said: “Advancements in robotics and artificial intelligence have sparked many sensational newspaper headlines over the years. From taking people’s jobs to caring for the elderly, robots are a source of fear and fascination.”
While the humanoids shopped for fruit and vegetables in Grainger Market, passers-by shared their thoughts on how future advances in robotics could make our lives easier.
“It was a bit of a shock initially to see the robots walking about the market! I can see the positives of having robot helpers in the future, like if they did the housework. But I think we would need to get used to them over time,” said Chelsea Douglas from North Kenton, Newcastle.
While others commented on the idea of humanoids living in our homes, like in the popular TV programme Humans.
“We'll definitely have robots living with us in our homes – I am in no doubt. I think a lot is going to change about how we live our lives,” said Sharon Moran from Newcastle, a greengrocer in Grainger Market.
For more information, visit www.life.org.uk/robots. Join the conversation online with #RobotHopes and #RobotFears.