How can robots look like human beings

Summary form only given. There is a long history of people attempting to replicate human beings with machines that appear humanoid. The history of the idea of using robots which replicate human form is briefly outlined, and then the question of why one would want to replicate human forms is discussed from functional, psychological and social points of view. Although there is no reason a robot needs to look like a biological life form, there have always been aspects of robotics research which have followed the idea of simulating nature not only in function but also in appearance. In design there is a school of thought which maintains that in good design the form of an object is dictated by its function, this is known as “form follows function”. This paper looks at the question of what advantages and disadvantages the human form has for robots