Would you lend your face to a robot-maker if they paid you $130,000?

Geomiq is seeking the right face in the crowd.

The engineering company wants a real human model on which to base the visage of a humanoid robot it’s developing for elder care. 

The company is willing to pay $130,000 for the right “kind and friendly” face.

If that all sounds like an episode of Star Trek, well it’s not. It’s quite real.

Geomiq offers design and manufacturing workflow tools to the engineering marketplace. It released the news of its search in a blog post, although the precise details of the project remain mysterious. 

Contracted for hire by an unnamed robotics company working on a “state-of-the-art humanoid robot,” Geomiq is seeking the perfect facial profile for the robot. 

The amiable face will serve as the prototype for a machine that could potentially appear in thousands of homes around the globe.  

The purpose of the robot isn’t just to look nice. According to the company, the robot is being designed to serve as a “virtual friend for elderly people,” so one must assume a fully automated creation that is powered by artificial intelligence and has the ability to offer multiple layers of assistance.   

Further details are scarce, however, “due to a non-disclosure agreement we’ve signed with the designer and his investors.” But Geomiq claims the project has been in development for five years, has the backing of venture capital, and is set to begin production next year.  

So if you want to throw your kind and friendly face into the mix, go for it. The money sure is enticing. Just be prepared for your face to become famous on a body other than your own.