Japan has a long history of robot innovation -- its industrial robots can be found in factories around the world, doing everything from assembling cars to loading pallets.

But when it comes to robots it's the humanoid machines that really capture the public's imagination -- the machines that walk, talk, sing and dance. And Japan has no shortage of those. Here's a short history of some of the country's most eye-catching androids.

Video by Jenny Marc, timeline by Sarah-Grace Mankarious, illustrations by Michelle Thompson, text by Katy Scott.