0:00:00 > 0:00:05Now on BBC News, it's Click.
0:00:06 > 0:00:09This week: Robot nurses.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11Robot rabbits.
0:00:11 > 0:00:15And disco-dancing aliens.
0:00:15 > 0:00:20It's technology that will put a smile on your face - literally.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46Believe it or not, modern nursing as we know it only
0:00:46 > 0:00:48dates back to the 1800s, to the time of Florence Nightingale
0:00:48 > 0:00:52and other pioneers.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56The Royal College of Nursing here in London is now in its 101st year.
0:00:56 > 0:01:01For all the life-saving technology that we've seen,
0:01:01 > 0:01:04the actual act of nursing itself is one relationship that so far has
0:01:04 > 0:01:09remained uniquely human.
0:01:09 > 0:01:10But our population is ageing.
0:01:10 > 0:01:1520% of Japan is over the age of 60.
0:01:15 > 0:01:21And in the UK, a quarter will be over 65 by 2045.
0:01:21 > 0:01:26This all means that the pressures on nursing are increasing,
0:01:26 > 0:01:30and looking after elderly people is becoming a pressing
0:01:30 > 0:01:31issue around the world.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34Kat Hawkins travelled to Helsinki, in Finland, to discover whether one
0:01:34 > 0:01:37of these could become the new one of these.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40I'm here in Helsinki, visiting the home of Marja Roth Sopanen.
0:01:44 > 0:01:49I'm here in Helsinki, visiting the home of Marja Roth Sopanen.
0:01:49 > 0:01:50Hello!
0:01:50 > 0:01:53Hello, how are you?
0:01:53 > 0:01:55Nice to meet you! Nice meeting you!
0:01:55 > 0:02:00She's an ex-air hostess, who likes to keep active at the age of 73.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03Look at the hat as well! That was ages ago!
0:02:03 > 0:02:07But after a skiing accident a few years ago, she developed epilepsy.
0:02:07 > 0:02:09I fell down, backwards, hit my head.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12I was unconscious for a little while, then got up and skied,
0:02:12 > 0:02:15and that's when it started.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18Her epilepsy means she needs daily medication and that her family,
0:02:18 > 0:02:24who live in New York, want to make sure she's OK.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27They get this reassurance from her daily nursing visit -
0:02:27 > 0:02:30over on the living room table.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34Do you think that this is as good as a nursing visit?
0:02:34 > 0:02:37It's better because they see, actually physical, see me,
0:02:37 > 0:02:40and then I don't have to wait for somebody to come.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42They want to check basically that I, ask basically
0:02:42 > 0:02:44if I took my pill, and...
0:02:44 > 0:02:45And just see how you are?
0:02:45 > 0:02:47How I... Yeah.
0:02:47 > 0:02:53Face, actually, to see the picture, to see that I'm OK.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56At the other end of the line is Tuomo Kuivamaki.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58He's one of the nurses here in Helsinki's first
0:02:59 > 0:02:59virtual nursing centre.
0:02:59 > 0:03:03Here, teams of trained nurses each make up to 50 video calls per day
0:03:03 > 0:03:05to people around the city who need support.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09So you've still got that kind of real human...
0:03:09 > 0:03:10Yeah, yeah.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13And especially some of the older customers, that's like a highlight
0:03:13 > 0:03:17of the day for them, to have sort of a small chat
0:03:17 > 0:03:22with a friendly nurse!
0:03:22 > 0:03:27The hope is that this will cut down on the number of home visits that
0:03:27 > 0:03:29nurses have to do to people who don't need physical
0:03:29 > 0:03:32support, freeing up more time for those that do.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34The software itself, called Video Visit, works much
0:03:34 > 0:03:35like any video call.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38So while the tech isn't that new, Helsinki's unique in how wisely
0:03:38 > 0:03:41the government is using it, and that can mean big
0:03:41 > 0:03:44savings for them.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47An in-person nursing visit can cost around 40 euros,
0:03:47 > 0:03:52but this new type of checkup costs as little as five.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54And what really comes across watching this call
0:03:54 > 0:03:56is that they do have a relationship.
0:03:56 > 0:03:57They're chatting away.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59And it just shows that that nursing element,
0:03:59 > 0:04:01that real human connection, is still there, even though
0:04:01 > 0:04:06it's a video call.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08People do hesitate at technology, and especially in nursing.
0:04:08 > 0:04:13We have virtual home care.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15We are actually taking care of people.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18It's scary that the robots are coming and taking our jobs.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20Actually, the robots are in here already,
0:04:20 > 0:04:24but they are easing our job and actually giving us the freedom
0:04:24 > 0:04:28to focus on people who actually need our physical help.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31Helsinki isn't the only place trying to keep people happy
0:04:31 > 0:04:37in their own homes for longer.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40At the Bristol Robotics Lab in the UK, a mock house
0:04:40 > 0:04:43is being used to predict what social care of the future might look like.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46Patients in their homes, but supported by a host
0:04:46 > 0:04:47of robots and smart devices.
0:04:47 > 0:04:48The fridge is open.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51Pepper has automatically recognised that the fridge has now opened.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54There's some chicken soup.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56You could heat that in the microwave.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59There's some chicken soup, I can heat that in the microwave.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02As well as recognising certain sensors around the house,
0:05:02 > 0:05:10Pepper is designed for other functions, aimed at keeping
0:05:10 > 0:05:12people in their own homes, such as physiotherapy exercises.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15Critics argue that robots can never replace the human interaction
0:05:15 > 0:05:16between carer and patient.
0:05:16 > 0:05:21Others point to their ability to go wrong.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23But if robots mean that people can live independently
0:05:23 > 0:05:26in their own homes for longer, then it might be we see
0:05:26 > 0:05:30more of them knocking around our kitchens in the future.
0:05:30 > 0:05:31That was Kat.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33Now, medical technologies, of course, are improving
0:05:33 > 0:05:33across-the-board.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37One example is the use of wearable technology
0:05:37 > 0:05:38for tracking facial muscles.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41Now, this can be transformative for people with conditions
0:05:41 > 0:05:43like facial palsy, Parkinson's and autism - allowing them
0:05:43 > 0:05:46to control devices remotely, or even just smile naturally.
0:05:46 > 0:05:54We asked three volunteers to try out some of the latest tech on offer.
0:06:00 > 0:06:04My name is Bethan Robertson-Smith and I'm doing my daily routine.
0:06:04 > 0:06:10It's a series of exercises to flex the muscles in my face.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14In 2008, when I was at university studying to be a veterinary nurse,
0:06:14 > 0:06:17I had a serious car accident.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20I had a fractured skull, an acquired brain injury,
0:06:20 > 0:06:25and I was left with facial palsy - also known as facial paralysis.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28It meant that every one of the 40 muscles that gave expression
0:06:28 > 0:06:33in my face had been paralysed.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36Years later, I had an operation that allowed me to smile
0:06:36 > 0:06:41like a Mona Lisa, using just two of the chewing muscles that
0:06:41 > 0:06:47were unaffected by the accident.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49It's very hard to know exactly what muscles I need
0:06:49 > 0:06:52to move to help me smile.
0:06:52 > 0:07:00I came down to Brighton today to try out a new piece of technology that's
0:07:00 > 0:07:02gonna help people like myself, who've got facial palsy.
0:07:02 > 0:07:07One of the surgeons who operated on me is part of a team of experts
0:07:07 > 0:07:09developing technologies with sensors to read the muscle activities
0:07:09 > 0:07:13of people with facial paralysis.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16So, when you were first diagnosed, you had an examination
0:07:16 > 0:07:18called the needle EMG, where the needle was put
0:07:18 > 0:07:22into the skin, into the muscles, to read the tiny electrical signals
0:07:22 > 0:07:23that the muscles emanate.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25With this technology, what we're using is these sensors
0:07:25 > 0:07:26that are noninvasive.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29So the same kind of reading, but without the pain,
0:07:29 > 0:07:32like none of the...?
0:07:32 > 0:07:32That's right.
0:07:32 > 0:07:39You have some degree of crossover between the muscles and that's why
0:07:39 > 0:07:41you need the machine learning and the Artificial Intelligence
0:07:42 > 0:07:43to interpret which muscle is activating.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47I'm Sarah Healey and, 30 years ago, I had a brain tumour.
0:07:47 > 0:07:48Try to raise both eyebrows symmetrically.
0:07:48 > 0:07:49Raise them both together.
0:07:49 > 0:07:49Together...
0:07:49 > 0:07:53And relax.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55The operation to take it out left me with paralysis
0:07:55 > 0:07:57on the right-hand side of my face.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59OK. Now smile with lips together.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02I'm certainly not alone, as there are about 100,000 people
0:08:02 > 0:08:08in the UK who have had facial paralysis for years.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12So each one of these dots represents the position on your face.
0:08:12 > 0:08:13OK.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17And so, for example, if you were to try and do
0:08:17 > 0:08:17a left-sided smile...
0:08:17 > 0:08:19Just smile.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21And relax.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24And the darker the red, the bigger the signal.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26So because my left side is better and stronger...
0:08:26 > 0:08:27That's right.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29..it's showing up as stronger on the screen.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31That's right.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34This is great because for the first time, I'm getting accurate
0:08:35 > 0:08:40information about what is going on with my face.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43I tend to overwork this side of my face, so this really
0:08:43 > 0:08:48is giving me feedback that I have to dampen down the movements I don't
0:08:48 > 0:08:51want, and this is just so good at doing that.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54I sort of try and practise in front of a mirror.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56It's not quite as subtle as this, is it?
0:08:57 > 0:08:59And also, I'm not that keen on looking in mirrors,
0:08:59 > 0:09:06to be quite honest.
0:09:06 > 0:09:07But it doesn't end there.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09This headset takes all the information from sensors -
0:09:10 > 0:09:13just like in the goggles - but now translates it into real-time
0:09:13 > 0:09:14expressions on a 3-D cartoon.
0:09:14 > 0:09:29Yeah, so I'm trying really hard to make her do a full smile...
0:09:29 > 0:09:30Yes.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32But it feels funny on my face.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35Doing it to a mirror, you kind of tell yourself what it looks like.
0:09:35 > 0:09:39Whereas she is like, oh, no, that's not what it looks like.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41My name's George Dowell, I'm the owner of Worthing Football Club.
0:09:41 > 0:09:46A lot on my day-to-day work involves using a computer and it can often be
0:09:46 > 0:09:46quite time consuming.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50Before I had my car accident, in 2010, I was a player
0:09:50 > 0:09:52for the club and on my way up.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55The accident left me with a broken spine and ten months in hospital.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59It was obviously a very tough time for me, but after a lot of rehab,
0:09:59 > 0:10:03I decided I wasn't gonna give up on football and I used my
0:10:03 > 0:10:05compensation pay-off from the accident to buy the club
0:10:05 > 0:10:07I used to play for.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09How are you doing, you all right?
0:10:09 > 0:10:10Nice to see you. And you.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14So there are quite a few companies now looking to see whether they can
0:10:14 > 0:10:16use VR as a new work space. Yeah.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20So by using this type of technology to sort of allow you to type
0:10:20 > 0:10:22much faster and interact with other people.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26If you thought it was quite funny, you can give it an eye wink.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29Or if you didn't like it, you can now do a frown
0:10:29 > 0:10:31and it'll do a frowny face.
0:10:31 > 0:10:32There you go.
0:10:32 > 0:10:33He looks grumpy, doesn't he?
0:10:33 > 0:10:36With this new headset, I should be able to control
0:10:36 > 0:10:39the keyboard and options using a wink or a frown, which will
0:10:39 > 0:10:41open up a whole new world for me.
0:10:41 > 0:10:42Yeah, it's very responsive.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44You're really slick on that now!
0:10:44 > 0:10:47It might sound strange to say, but for the first time
0:10:47 > 0:10:50since my accident, I'm able to see what my smile actually looks like.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53Not to make it sound like, I dunno, a strange way,
0:10:53 > 0:10:57but you're kind of doing it with somebody else.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01Yes. And it's not such a lonely thing.
0:11:01 > 0:11:05My biggest aim for this would be to be able to help me
0:11:05 > 0:11:05smile symmetrically.
0:11:05 > 0:11:12That's been one of my aims for the last 30 years.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17Welcome to the 'Week In Tech'.
0:11:17 > 0:11:22It was the week Instagram admitted a flaw in its systems revealed
0:11:22 > 0:11:25a number of celebrities' phone numbers and email addresses
0:11:25 > 0:11:26to cyber attackers.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29Nasa announced a replacement for the Space Shuttle could be one
0:11:29 > 0:11:30step closer to happening.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33It's called Dream Chaser and it's being developed
0:11:33 > 0:11:34by a private company.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37And pizza-delivery drivers could be out of a job if Domino's and Ford's
0:11:37 > 0:11:42autonomous car delivery service trials take off in the USA.
0:11:42 > 0:11:50A German university has scooped top prize SpaceX's Hyperloop Pod design
0:11:50 > 0:11:53competition, with a pod that reached a top speed of 201 mph.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56But their trial has been topped by Elon Musk's Tesla pod,
0:11:56 > 0:11:59which has been used to give the students' efforts a push-start,
0:11:59 > 0:12:02recording a speed of 220 mph.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04And Uber took steps to change its public image
0:12:04 > 0:12:07with the arrival of a new CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10The firm's made a U-turn on its policy allowing it to track
0:12:10 > 0:12:14users for five minutes after finishing a ride.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16The update, due to be rolled out this week,
0:12:16 > 0:12:19means tracking ends immediately once a ride is finished.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22And finally, Google announced it would replace its Augmented Reality
0:12:22 > 0:12:25effort Tango with one called ARCore.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28The technology will first be available on the Samsung Galaxy S8
0:12:28 > 0:12:33and Google Pixel phone.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36Not to be outdone, Apple gathered developers together to show off some
0:12:36 > 0:12:40of the new apps soon to be available thanks to its new AR kit -
0:12:40 > 0:12:43from IKEA's app that lets you place furniture virtually in your home,
0:12:43 > 0:12:48all the way to one very hungry caterpillar.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58We've now seen robots doing many things, but the idea of them
0:12:58 > 0:13:00keeping us company is, for many, still quite hard
0:13:01 > 0:13:03to comprehend, but that's something a few companies
0:13:03 > 0:13:14are hoping to overcome.
0:13:14 > 0:13:15Meet MiRo.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18Whilst the hardware is finished, the software is still being worked
0:13:18 > 0:13:21on, but the aim is to create a cute companion for the elderly
0:13:21 > 0:13:24which will also be able to provide some practical functions.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27Now, they're all made possible by a host of sensors
0:13:27 > 0:13:31which are built in here.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33We've got two directional microphones, so we can tell
0:13:33 > 0:13:36where the sound's coming from, two cameras here in the eyes that
0:13:36 > 0:13:40are going to be tracking emotions, a sonar sensor here in the nose,
0:13:40 > 0:13:42which should stop the creature from bumping into anything.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45There are also cliff sensors here, so it shouldn't fall off
0:13:45 > 0:13:54the edge of anything.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58And light sensors all around can tell whether it's night or day,
0:13:58 > 0:14:01so it'll act appropriately - because if you give it a stroke,
0:14:01 > 0:14:04you can see just how excited it can actually get.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07The bot is already available to developers, with a consumer unit
0:14:07 > 0:14:08expected later this year.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10The aim is that by then, it'll feature facial recognition,
0:14:10 > 0:14:12voice control, CO2 smoke and temperature sensors
0:14:12 > 0:14:20and a constant record function.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23Long-term, the hope is it'll become a therapy robot for those
0:14:23 > 0:14:25with a variety of conditions, including autism and dementia.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28So whilst the dog, rabbit - or is it a cow?
0:14:28 > 0:14:32- keeps an eye on you, it's also gonna be synching up
0:14:32 > 0:14:35to its companion app and also this bracelet, which can sense falls.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38Now, it'll keep track of all that data and if anything
0:14:38 > 0:14:41is out of the ordinary, if a user was to break
0:14:41 > 0:14:48their routine, then it could make chosen relatives or friends aware.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51But whilst part of its role is caring, it's also intended
0:14:51 > 0:14:52to provide emotional engagement.
0:14:52 > 0:14:58It's definitely watching.
0:14:58 > 0:15:02A huge amount of effort has gone into the body language -
0:15:02 > 0:15:05the blinking, the way the head moves and the tail moves,
0:15:05 > 0:15:06and the things like that.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09And that is really as important as the other functionality.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12And the trouble is with a lot of these humanoid robots, they're not.
0:15:12 > 0:15:22And, you know, they can't behave like a human.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25They can sort of wave their arms around in a mechanical manner,
0:15:26 > 0:15:28but they don't have that what the Japanese call
0:15:28 > 0:15:29kawaii, or cuteness.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31And when I started working in robotics, I realised
0:15:31 > 0:15:34that there was a real opportunity to make, you know, mechanical
0:15:34 > 0:15:41devices emotionally engaging.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44This isn't the only device in this space.
0:15:44 > 0:15:45Parihug has just completed a successful Crowdfunding
0:15:45 > 0:15:47campaign and aims to provide long-distance cuddles.
0:15:47 > 0:15:54Yes, long-distance cuddles!
0:15:54 > 0:15:57The idea is that the wi-fi connected toy can give a hug via another
0:15:57 > 0:16:00of the creatures to loved-ones you miss - especially
0:16:00 > 0:16:01parents away from kids.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04Of course, none of this is about robots replacing the need
0:16:04 > 0:16:08for real pets or human company, but if they could offer a little bit
0:16:08 > 0:16:11of support when it's needed, then how can we really think
0:16:11 > 0:16:12that's an issue?
0:16:12 > 0:16:20Night-night!
0:16:26 > 0:16:27Huh...
0:16:27 > 0:16:27Hey, how you doing?
0:16:28 > 0:16:28You all right?
0:16:28 > 0:16:31Yeah, man, I'll join you in a bit.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34Have you heard the one about the alien who walks
0:16:34 > 0:16:35into a bar and says...
0:16:35 > 0:16:37Mmm, I'll have a blue milk.
0:16:37 > 0:16:37Hmm...
0:16:37 > 0:16:39Put it in a glass...
0:16:39 > 0:16:41Now, as impressive as this bizarre setup looks,
0:16:41 > 0:16:43these motion-capture suits and stages are actually the standard
0:16:43 > 0:16:46way that Industrial Light Magic uses actors to give realistic
0:16:46 > 0:16:48movements to computer-generated principal characters.
0:16:48 > 0:16:57Thank you very much.
0:16:57 > 0:16:58No worries!
0:16:58 > 0:16:59You were very frightening.
0:16:59 > 0:16:59Ah, good.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02I mean, he's a nice dad, I think, Jalien.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05Even the fact that Jalien here is being rendered in real time
0:17:05 > 0:17:07for the director to see during the performance
0:17:07 > 0:17:09is not in itself new.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11I remember back in, I think it was 2007,
0:17:11 > 0:17:18I went to ILM in San Francisco.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22I wore the ball suit and they turned me into a green alien,
0:17:22 > 0:17:24live right there in the studio, and I was absolutely
0:17:24 > 0:17:26blown away by it.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28Ten years on, just look at this guy!
0:17:28 > 0:17:29Hey, check me out!
0:17:29 > 0:17:31Hi, man.
0:17:31 > 0:17:32Hey.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34What is brand-new here is the live rendering
0:17:34 > 0:17:38of Jethro's facial expressions.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42Now, although facial capture has been a thing for a few years,
0:17:42 > 0:17:44so far, the director hasn't been able to see the results
0:17:45 > 0:17:51on the character's face during the recording.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55You know, our big focus was around the face and being able to capture
0:17:55 > 0:17:58the face at the same time as the body.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00And we can determine what expressions are happening each
0:18:00 > 0:18:03frame, and then directors can see that live and make decisions
0:18:03 > 0:18:06on if the character is working as a character,
0:18:06 > 0:18:10whether his expressions need to change in terms of the model.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12In order to process an actor's expressions quickly enough,
0:18:12 > 0:18:15only one face cam and a few Mo-cap dots are used.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19This simplified live data is then compared to a higher resolution 3-D
0:18:19 > 0:18:22capture of the actor's face that's taken beforehand on a rig called...
0:18:22 > 0:18:29The Medusa.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32Now, unlike other facial-capture systems we've seen which take
0:18:32 > 0:18:34still images of the actor's face, here they're shooting
0:18:34 > 0:18:37video of my face moving into and out of each emotion.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39That means that the facial recreation and the animations
0:18:39 > 0:18:41will look a lot more natural.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44The live, high-quality rendering of both face and body can also
0:18:44 > 0:18:47become a magic mirror on sets to help the actor
0:18:47 > 0:18:57to get into the part.
0:18:57 > 0:19:01So I feel like this is how I get to know who I am,
0:19:01 > 0:19:04what my limitations are, what my body is, what my girth is,
0:19:04 > 0:19:07how it moves, how it sort of doesn't move.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09You see I have a nice heavy arm.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11Whether I have to consider that weight.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14And I guess it really does make you move differently when you're
0:19:14 > 0:19:16on set, if you're playing a half-tonne alien,
0:19:16 > 0:19:18to you being a svelte young man.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21It totally does, as long as I engage my imagination.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23Because if you can see, I'm totally beautifully...
0:19:23 > 0:19:27HE LAUGHS.
0:19:27 > 0:19:31You know, in a way that Jalien can't, my wet suit moves in a way
0:19:31 > 0:19:34that maybe that arm and that outfit doesn't move.
0:19:34 > 0:19:44It's good showing you my, er, my stuff.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47So here, they're bringing digital characters to life for the director
0:19:47 > 0:19:51and the performers to work with, but there are ways to bring digital
0:19:51 > 0:19:53characters to entire audiences live on stage.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56In fact, it's something we tried out on our Click Live show
0:19:56 > 0:20:01at the end of last year.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03So when we heard that the Nederlands Dans Theater was dabbling
0:20:03 > 0:20:07in this kind of stuff too, we sent Nick Kwek -
0:20:07 > 0:20:16Click's finest ballet dancer - to investigate.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18Welcome to the world of modern dance - conservative,
0:20:18 > 0:20:19traditional, disciplined.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21But at the same time, innovative, rebellious,
0:20:21 > 0:20:22perpetually striving to push the envelope.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25Today, choreographers and dancers of NDT are working with a new medium
0:20:25 > 0:20:26for artistic expression.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28They're taking two excerpts from their show called
0:20:28 > 0:20:44Stop Motion and adapting it to include holographic projections.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46It's almost an IMAX-type experience, without the need
0:20:47 > 0:20:53for glasses, you know?
0:20:53 > 0:20:54Every detail has been carefully crafted.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56They're projecting a falling white giant and dust
0:20:56 > 0:20:59onto a black backdrop, playing with the themes of light
0:20:59 > 0:21:06and dark and destruction.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09Technology needs to embrace the art, but not with sticking
0:21:09 > 0:21:10out all by itself.
0:21:10 > 0:21:11It needs to help.
0:21:11 > 0:21:16It's like a glove to the art, to the expression.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19The holographic illusion is created with the help of two very high-end
0:21:19 > 0:21:21projectors and a special lightweight mesh screen.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24By playing out videos on the front mesh and back wall,
0:21:24 > 0:21:26it creates an optical illusion of 3-D depth.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29For the performers, it's actually a really good rig to work
0:21:30 > 0:21:33with because they can see the projections on this side whilst
0:21:33 > 0:21:44they're on stage performing.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47With other systems, you don't really get that same wall...
0:21:47 > 0:21:48It's really realistic, actually!
0:21:48 > 0:21:51Also handy if you fancy giving a very expensive
0:21:51 > 0:21:53PowerPoint presentation, as one of these Novo Line rigs costs
0:21:53 > 0:21:56anywhere from 15 grand for a week's rental.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58We wanted to have a full space for a dancer,
0:21:58 > 0:22:00a performer, a CEO to talk.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02We wanted that you could touch it.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04The other system, you can't touch it because it's smeared,
0:22:05 > 0:22:06it's a fragile, reflective surface.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09This, you can wrap around, we could create curves with it.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11And of course, it can go to massive sizes.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14And to take the whole thing even further, they're introducing
0:22:14 > 0:22:16real-life flour to complement the virtual stuff,
0:22:16 > 0:22:18blending the boundaries between real and virtual.
0:22:18 > 0:22:18Sort of.
0:22:19 > 0:22:20We've got a bit of technical difficulty.
0:22:20 > 0:22:22But luckily, Paul's in his pants.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25So, a man in pants will surely save the day!
0:22:25 > 0:22:27Problem solved, dancer into position, stand by lighting,
0:22:27 > 0:22:28music, cue projection...
0:22:28 > 0:22:40And action!
0:22:41 > 0:22:46CHEERING AND APPLAUSE.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03CHEERING AND APPLAUSE.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06Actually, instead of complementing the effect, I think it actually
0:23:06 > 0:23:08detracted from it a little bit.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10Yep.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12Especially when the flour went onto the back wall.
0:23:12 > 0:23:13Yep, yep.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15Because then you go, well, that's now totally fake.
0:23:15 > 0:23:16It's no magic.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18It's no magic.
0:23:18 > 0:23:19Creating an extra audiovisual experience, though,
0:23:19 > 0:23:21adds to the complexity of live performance.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24It's not just the type of visuals, it's the scale, the brightness,
0:23:24 > 0:23:27how the lighting interacts with the mesh, how it blends
0:23:27 > 0:23:29with the real-life action on stage.
0:23:29 > 0:23:34But, no pain, no gain.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36To be artistic with technology, it's not easy and it's
0:23:36 > 0:23:39a lot of experiences, and a lot of mistakes to see,
0:23:39 > 0:23:41so what do we want to do?
0:23:41 > 0:23:42So it needs time.
0:23:42 > 0:23:46I think this ballet, for example, has the beauty itself.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48Mmm.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50You don't need this. Mmm.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52Well, that's it for this week.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54Don't forget, we live on Facebook and on Twitter...
0:23:54 > 0:23:55Thanks for watching.
0:23:55 > 0:23:59Thanks for having us at your place, Jalien.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02Hey, no worries, man. Hmm...
0:24:02 > 0:24:04Now, get out of here! Yeah.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06Hmm... Out!
0:24:06 > 0:24:09Move, scoot, mm! Huh...
0:24:09 > 0:24:11Jackass, huh? Yeah.
0:24:11 > 0:24:12I've gotta go, bye.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15Huh. Huh.
0:24:36 > 0:24:36Hi there.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39We've got some decent weather coming up to start the weekend.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42With high pressure in charge, we'll have some sunshine to start
0:24:42 > 0:24:44the day on Saturday.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48Mind you, some of you might have been woken in the night by the odd