![]() ![]() It has a screen on its head that displays an animated cartoon face. It can swivel its body, though, and move its arms in expressive ways. Instead, it helps with social and emotional skills. It will prompt him to go play with family or friends. If they’ve been interacting for 30 or 40 minutes, Moxie will say it is tired. His Moxie doesn’t take the place of human friends. Rocco is 8 and lives in Orlando, Florida. He wanted a robot that could be a friend and a helper, “maybe even help with homework,” he jokes. Bringing a lovable character to life as a robot was his childhood dream. He founded Embodied, a company in Pasadena, Calif., that makes Moxie. “It’s a teacher disguised as a friend,” says Paolo Pirjanian. Moxie is a different sort of social robot. © Consequential Robotics 2019 A childhood dream “MiRo is fun because it seems to have a mind of its own,” says Julie Robillard. The robot responds with animal-like sounds and motions - and colors to indicate its mood. Here, students at Lyonsdown School in England talk to and touch it. Kids and other users can program MiRo-E, this companion robot. But it would be most similar to the kind of relationship a child might have with a teddy bear or that an adult might have with a beloved car. He says a relationship with this type of robot is possible. ![]() He doesn’t go so far as to call MiRo-E a friend, though. With the right code, Conran notes, the robot could recognize people or tell if they are smiling or frowning. The real goal is for kids and other users to program it themselves. Right out of the box, this robot comes with these and other basic social skills. (Actually, it’ll roll away it travels on wheels). Talk to it in a loud, angry voice and “it will glow red and run away,” he says. If someone strokes MiRo-E, the robot acts happy, he says. He co-founded Consequential Robotics in London, England. If it hears a noise, it can tell where the noise is coming from and can turn in the direction of the noise,” explains Sebastian Conran. It has been designed to engage with people and respond to them. She has been studying whether robot friendships might be a good or bad thing for people. For instance, “There is no poop to pick up!” Robillard is a neuroscientist and expert in brain-health technology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. Also, a mechanical pet offers some benefits. “Pet-like robots can be especially useful in environments where a real pet wouldn’t be allowed,” points out Julie Robillard. Then again, not everyone can keep a cat or dog. Koichi Kamoshida/Staff/ Getty Images NewsĪ robot pet isn’t nearly as lovable as a real one. Paro is designed to offer people companionship and comfort. This is Paro, an adorable, soft and cuddly robot seal. It is supposed to offer companionship similar to a pet, such as a cat or dog. It comforts people at some hospitals and nursing homes. Another is Paro, a robot that looks like a soft and cuddly seal. This humanoid robot acts as a guide in some airports, hospitals and retail stores. There are too many social and companion robots to list them all - new ones come out all the time. The results are becoming more and more friend-like. Researchers are working hard to make them ever better at these roles. Others are attentive companions or delightful pet-like toys. But some are helpful assistants or engaging teaching tools. As one of the first researchers to combine these fields, she works on making robot movements easier for people to understand and accept.īots today aren’t yet true friends, like R2-D2. But I’d never categorize that as friendship.” Cuan studies robotics at Stanford University in California. “Curiosity about robots can create a kind of closeness. ![]() “I think humans need other humans,” says Catie Cuan. Other researchers are more skeptical about using the word “friend” for machines. She is affiliated with the University of California, Los Angeles and the Max Planck Institute in Stuttgart, Germany. But there’s a lot more work to do.” Block is a roboticist who built a machine that gives hugs. And, she adds, “I think we’re on the right track. “That’s totally what my aim is,” says Alexis E. Some hope true robot friendships may one day prove possible. Many HRI researchers are working to make friendlier, more trustworthy machines. But that doesn’t mean they can’t act friendly in ways that help and support people.Īn entire field of research called human-robot interaction - or HRI for short - studies how people use and respond to robots. In real life, however, robots can’t actually care about anyone or anything. In the Star Wars movies, droids appear to form meaningful friendships with people. Would you hang out with R2-D2 if you got the chance? Seems like it could be pretty fun. ![]()
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