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Physical AI in action: affective computing powering real engagement
A deep dive into how Reply connects robotics and emotional intelligence to power next-gen human-machine interaction: natural, adaptive, and real.
What is Physical AI?
Physical AI is about enabling AI systems to sense, reason, and act within the physical world - in real time, in real environments, and in response to real people. It merges perception, adaptive behaviour, and system integration to create interactive agents that don’t just analyse data, but also participate in real-world workflows and experiences.
Physical AI can take many forms, from autonomous vehicles to collaborative industrial arms to social robots that engage directly with people. At Reply, one example we experiment with is Ameca - a humanoid robot where we bring together affective computing, natural language interaction, and enterprise integration to prototype physical AI experiences that are responsive, intelligent, and emotionally aware.
HUMAN-LIKE ROBOTICS IN ACTION
See how Physical AI comes to life
Lifelike expression. Real-time emotional feedback. A human-shaped machine that reacts to the world around it.
Applications of Physical AI with Ameca
Emotion-aware interactions powered by affective computing
Ameca is equipped with our in-house developed, adaptive affective computing module - also used across our digital human solutions - that enables it to interpret facial expressions, detect user sentiment, and adjust its tone and behavioural cues accordingly. This allows for interactions that are not only intelligent, but also emotionally attuned to the user.
At events like SAP Sapphire and DSAG, Ameca was showcased as an interactive support agent, assisting users through service processes via natural language conversation. When a resolution could not be provided immediately, it initiated a support case within the SAP ecosystem and later followed up with the solution - demonstrating a complete, end-to-end interaction flow anchored in emotional responsiveness and system integration.
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Emotionally responsive brand engagement
At OMR Festival, Ameca was part of an interactive installation designed to engage users through facial sentiment recognition and real-time behavioural response. Visitors interacted naturally, with the system adjusting its reactions based on detected emotions - from micro-expressions to broader sentiment cues.
This experience, created in collaboration with Vodafone, became the most visited installation at the booth. It demonstrated how affective computing and physical AI can be used not only to attract attention, but also to create memorable, emotionally relevant experiences in fast-paced, high-traffic environments.
Supporting validation with intelligent, repeatable behavior
In the automotive sector, Ameca has been used as a test agent for advanced driver monitoring systems - particularly for distraction detection, where precision and repeatability are essential. Thanks to its programmable behaviors and consistent response patterns, it offers a reliable alternative to using human participants in controlled testing environments.
This setup enables the generation of high-quality synthetic data to validate systems under upcoming safety regulations. It supports both functional validation and edge case exploration, accelerating the deployment of compliant, next-generation in-cabin monitoring solutions.
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Adaptive agents in the real world
Physical AI reflects a shift toward intelligent, emotionally aware agents designed to operate in real environments. These systems combine perception, reasoning, and affective computing to enable interactions that feel intuitive, responsive, and human-centric - across enterprise, public, and testing scenarios. Are you interested in knowing more?
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