Talk the talk

A raised eyebrow. A whispered answer. A subtle conversation for two takes on new meaning when one of the participants is a mere machine.

Meet InCA (Internet Conversational Agent), a pocket-sized helper who recognises natural language and talks back - incorporating some familiar gestures, too.

Talking machines have long been a staple of sci-fi, but Sydney researchers have used today's off-the-shelf products to convert an ordinary PDA from a gadget to an assistant that listens and responds.