Intempus Innovates Robots with Human-Like Emotional Expressions

Teddy Warner, a 19-year-old robotics enthusiast, is transforming how robots interact with humans through his startup Intempus. Growing up in a machinist family and inspired by his experience at AI research lab Midjourney, Warner recognized a critical gap in current robotics: the absence of a physiological state that mirrors human emotions.

Unlike traditional robots that simply translate observation to action, humans and animals have an intermediary emotional state influencing behavior. Intempus aims to retrofit existing robots with technology that allows them to express emotions through kinetic movements—subtle arm and torso gestures that humans subconsciously read to understand intent and feelings.

Warner’s research journey began with fMRI data but quickly pivoted to physiological signals like sweat, body temperature, heart rate, and photoplethysmography. Remarkably, he found that sweat data alone could train models to give robots an emotional composition, making their reactions more human-like and predictable.

Launched in September 2024, Intempus has already secured seven enterprise robotics partners and is part of Peter Thiel’s prestigious Thiel Fellowship program. Warner, currently a solo founder, plans to expand his team and begin human testing of the emotional capabilities embedded in robots.

The implications of Intempus’ technology are profound: robots that can communicate emotions naturally will reduce the uncanny valley effect, improve collaboration with humans, and generate richer datasets to train AI models with enhanced spatial and emotional intelligence.

Looking ahead, while Intempus focuses on retrofitting existing robots, Warner envisions creating fully emotionally intelligent robots. His goal is simple yet ambitious: to have robots that visibly express joy, stress, or intent, making human-robot interaction seamless and intuitive.

Why Emotional Expression Matters in Robotics

Humans rely heavily on nonverbal cues—movements of the arms, torso, and subtle physiological signals—to interpret emotions and intentions. By enabling robots to mimic these cues, Intempus bridges the communication gap, making robots’ actions more predictable and less intimidating.

• Enhanced human-robot interaction through natural emotional expression
• Improved AI training data from physiological signals
• Reduction of the uncanny valley effect in robotics
• Potential for fully emotionally intelligent robots in the future

The Road Ahead for Intempus and Robotics

Intempus is at the forefront of a new wave in robotics, where emotional intelligence is as important as mechanical precision. Warner’s approach of integrating physiological data to create a 'B step'—a physiological state between observation and action—could redefine how robots understand and interact with the world.

As the company scales and begins human trials, the robotics industry will be watching closely. If successful, Intempus’ technology could unlock new applications in healthcare, customer service, manufacturing, and beyond—where robots not only perform tasks but also connect emotionally with people.