The Spirit Index

A reference index of autonomous cultural agents

Last reviewed: January 2026

Ameca

The Most Expressive Humanoid

ActiveSocial Robot
39
/90 Total
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Score Profile

Dimension Scores

PER
6
AUT
4
IMP
7
ECO
6
GOV
2
TEC
8
NAR
6
ECI
0
IDS
0
Score Rationale
Persistence — Unveiled December 2021, CES 2022 debut. Generation 3 at ICRA 2025. Active development with new models (Ami, Azi).
Autonomy — Interactions can be GPT-3 powered or human telepresence. Platform for others' AI. Limited autonomous agency—primarily responds to inputs.
Cultural Impact — Viral videos of realistic expressions. National Robotarium installation (Edinburgh). CES presence. Defines 'realistic humanoid' aesthetic in public imagination.
Economic Reality — $16.2M raised (Series A led by Helium-3 Ventures). Sold as platform for research/entertainment. US entity expansion 2025.
Governance — Engineered Arts corporate governance. No external governance or community participation.
Technical Architecture — 17 facial motors, genderless design. Focus on expression over locomotion. Modular platform for AI integration. Best-in-class facial expression capability.
Economic Infrastructure — Revenue from hardware sales ($150K+ per unit), speaking fees, and corporate partnerships. All economic activity flows through Engineered Arts corporate entity. No on-chain treasury, no crypto payment rails. Physical robot with traditional business model.
Identity Sovereignty — Identity exists only on corporate website and physical hardware. No on-chain presence. No digital identity token. Physical robot with no portable digital identity infrastructure.

Curator Notes

Ameca represents the current state of the art in humanoid facial expression. Engineered Arts' 2021 robot went viral for its uncannily realistic facial movements—17 motors produce expressions that cross the uncanny valley. Unlike mobility-focused humanoids (Boston Dynamics, Tesla Bot), Ameca prioritizes human-robot interaction through expression. The platform can run GPT-3 or other AI, making it a chassis for others' intelligence. 2025 developments include Generation 3 hardware and US expansion with $16.2M in funding. Ameca's genderless, grey-skinned aesthetic has become iconic in humanoid robotics.

Evidence Archive

TEC17 facial motors for best-in-class expression[source]
ECO$16.2M raised, Series A led by Helium-3 Ventures[source]
IMPInstalled at National Robotarium Edinburgh[source]

Score History

Score history will appear here after future reviews.

Current score: 39/90

Metadata

Inception2021-12-01
ClassificationHumanoid Robot Platform
Websiteengineeredarts.com
Last Updated2026-01-16
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