HALLMARK - America’s Got Talent (AGT) is a popular reality talent competition TV program that features a wide variety of amateur performers who compete for a $1 million prize and a headlining show in Las Vegas. The show’s defining HALLMARK or distinguishing characteristic is a diverse range of singers, dancers, magicians, comedians, acrobats, and novelty acts judged by a panel of four judges. Just when the judges and viewers thought they’d seen it all on AGT, the Season 21 premier on June 2nd delivered a “Did I just see what I thought I saw?” act that left the judges, studio audience, and YouTube viewers buzzing with amazement. Don’t believe me – just watch!!
MULTIFACETED – The act began with a short question and answer interview with Wu Yufei, a 26-year-old from Chengdu, China. The soft-spoken dancer seemed unlikely to produce a shocking act. But appearances were deceptive. It turns out that Wu is a MULTIFACETED young man who has many different sides. During the night he is a popular hip-hop street performer. During the day he works as a full-time engineer for Unitree Robotics, a cutting-edge Chinese robotics company that manufactures bipedal G1 robots.
METICULOUS – Everyone expected Wu to perform a solo act. Instead, as you can see in our video, a troupe of 8 humanoid robots walked onto the stage. They then performed a METICULOUSLY timed pop-and-lock routine to Lady Gaga’s song “Abracadabra.” Programmed by Yufei, the carefully synchronized and amazingly fluid choreography even included a perfectly executed backflip. The routine won over the studio audience and left the AGT judges searching for words to describe what they had just seen.
ENGENDER and MITIGATE – What feelings did you have as you watched Wu Yufei and his troupe of Dancing Robots perform? SAT test writers have also been interested in this question. They have created a series of vocabulary in context questions that use challenging vocabulary words to probe how people feel about interacting with bipedal humanoid robots. For example, the unnatural interaction can ENGENDER or cause an unsettling feeling of unease. But it is also possible for the robot’s humanoid features to MITIGATE or calm people’s feelings of anxiety.
IDIOSYNCRATIC – After the performance, the judges asked questions about Yufei’s mechanical backup dancers. Yufei revealed that his favorite robot in the lineup is named “Jackie.” When asked why, Yufei playfully explained that Jackie has an IDIOSYNCRATIC or distinctive trait because he/she “really loves Kung Fu,” a clear nod to the legendary Jackie Chan.
CONSENSUS – Led by Simon Cowell, the panel quickly reached a CONSENSUS or agreement as all four judges gave Wu Yufei an emphatic “YES!”
HARBINGER and BEHOLD - Older generations of robots have been rigid and blocky. But the sleek Unitree robots looked incredibly lifelike. The performance on AGT may be a HARBINGER that foreshadows a future in which humans and robots interact in a variety of surprising ways. In short – we may be BEHOLDING or witnessing the future on AGT!
HALLMARK – a distinguishing feature or characteristic trait
MULTIFACETED – having many aspects, sides, or features
METICULOUS – precise and careful; exacting
ENGENDER – to cause or give rise to a feeling, situation, or condition
MITIGATE – to calm or ease feelings of discomfort
IDIOSYNCRATIC – unique and distinctive
CONSENSUS – a general agreement
HARBINGER – a forerunner that foreshadows future events
BEHOLD – look at; regard