Unlike the creepy animatronic people in Disney Land, the Geminoid DK, while still kind of creepy, is a stepping stone in android research.
The android is controlled by motion capture technology. A user sits at a computer which replicates their facial movements. So as of right now it still could be just animatronics, BUT, it looks so ridiculously real!
The creator of the Geminoid line, Hiroshi Ishiguro, and his team are creating these androids for humanistic research. Along with the scientific knowledge that comes with their research they hope to answer such philosophical questions as what is presence? and what is identity? It is very interesting to see that such philosophical aspects are taken into account. Of course with such a delicate social subject of implementing robotics and androids into everyday life, these types of questions must be asked and hopefully answered.
Nick Sjostrom