Science Fiction
Dictionary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
 |
Toddlers Embrace Our (Giggling) Robotic Overlords
Toddlers will play with and yes, embrace, robotic playmates, according to researchers from the University of California at San Diego. I have to apologize for two things before proceeding. First, I think this is really last year's story; as far as I can tell, the research paper was presented in 2006. Second, I've always thought that I was above using the "_______ welcome our ______ robotic overlords" construction. Sigh.
It's still a good story, though, and I don't have it on my site.
(QRIO and the toddlers get along)
J. Movellan and F. Tanaka observed the interactions between a classroom full of toddlers aged 18 months to two years. The QRIO robot stayed in the middle of the room using its sensors to avoid bumping into kids or objects. Its initial programming was to giggle when children touched its head; it could also sit down and then lie down when its power was out.
Over a period of months, toddlers seemed to interact with QRIO in much the same way that they did with each other. Researchers measured this by looking at how often they touched QRIO; mostly, they touched the robot on the arms and hands, rather than the face and legs.
Over months, the children appeared to care for QRIO in the same way that they did for each other. When QRIO fell down, the children helped it up. When it ran out of power, they covered it with a blanket, as if it was sleeping, saying "night, night."
Movellan remarks
"The study shows that current technology is very close to being able to produce robots able to bond with toddlers, at least over long periods of time."
An interesting side result of the study came about when researchers made more use of QRIO's capabilities. The original QRIO is capable of complex movements, as shown in the video below.
(QRIO struts its stuff - seriously!)
However, when researchers allowed QRIO to carry out more complicated movements, like dancing all the time on its own, the children lost interest quickly. When researchers let QRIO go back to its simpler behavior, children played with it as a peer again.
Science fiction writers like Brian Aldiss have long thought about how children (and adults) would consider robotic playmates. In his 1969 story Super-Toys Last All Summer Long, an adult interacts with a robotic playmate.
"Come down here, Teddy!"She stood impassively, watching the little furry figure as it climbed down from step to step on its stubby limbs. When it reached the bottom, she picked it up and carried it into the living room. It lay unmoving in her arms, staring up at her. She could feel just the slightest vibration from its motor.
"Stand there, Teddy. I want to talk to you."
(Read more about Teddy the robotic bear
Interestingly, the researchers noted that it was possible that robots could be useful as "teacher's assistant," a role similar to that played by Teddy, who answered questions about its owner's behavior.
Also, as I noted above, the QRIO robot was discontinued when Sony shut down its unprofitable robot division. However, there are rumors that Toyota might buy it and do something with it.
Read more about Robot becomes one of the kids and take a look at the abstract for the original paper at Behavior Analysis of Children's Touch on a Small Humanoid Robot: Long-term Observation at a Daily Classroom over Three Months. More info about Sony QRIO and possible Toyota resurrection of QRIO.
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 11/6/2007)
Follow this kind of news @Technovelgy.| Email | RSS | Blog It | Stumble | del.icio.us | Digg | Reddit |
Would
you like to contribute a story tip?
It's easy:
Get the URL of the story, and the related sf author, and add
it here.
Comment/Join discussion ( 0 )
Related News Stories - (" Robotics ")
Robot Bees 3D Printed By Festo
'At first I was struck by the large size of these bees..' - Ernst Junger, 1957.
DIY Robot Scorpion Crushes It
'...it raised its front end off the ground and waved its antennae at them, then raised one armoured claw as if to snip them out of the sky.' - Neal Asher, 2008.
How To Settle An Argument Between Two Robots
'Henry... assumed the curious absent look of a robot talking on the TBR circuits.' - Frederik Pohl, 1954
Satyress Centaur Robot Horror Reminds Everyone Of Something
'Fess was very dutiful' - Christopher Stasheff, 1969.
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
Science Fiction
Timeline
1600-1899
1900-1939
1940's 1950's
1960's 1970's
1980's 1990's
2000's 2010's
Current News
Robot Bees 3D Printed By Festo
'At first I was struck by the large size of these bees..'
DIY Robot Scorpion Crushes It
'...it raised its front end off the ground and waved its antennae at them, then raised one armoured claw as if to snip them out of the sky.'
How To Settle An Argument Between Two Robots
'Henry... assumed the curious absent look of a robot talking on the TBR circuits.'
The Wind Phone Calls Those Who Have Passed On
'Only I heard that!'
Don't Want To Wear A TIght Shiny Bodysuit?
'He looked a good bit like an elderly, fat beetle.'
Light Society: Simulates Earth-Scale Society With A Billion AI Agents
'The king, an old hand in the running of tyrannies, instantly grasped the directions...'
Satyress Centaur Robot Horror Reminds Everyone Of Something
'Fess was very dutiful'
When Colds Threaten You Can't Do This - Or Can You?
'...a hemispherical force field enclosing his head.'
Beautiful Visualization of Dawn Spacecraft
'Then he became aware of a gentle pressure pushing him away from the ship.'
Biological War: A Scenario
'And now they wre busily transforming all their companions, and so on, and so on...'
Pole-Dancing Stripperbot Robot
'Why, a clockwork dancer, or, better still, one that would go by electricity and never run down...'
Collective Superintelligence Is At Hand!
'Maybe the individual intelligence of each Cubic pools into a group intelligence...'
Instant Journalists: Ordinary People With Cell Phones
'We'll show them whose planet this is!'
Health Kiosk Has No Human Doctor
'The electronic body analyzer had been developed...'
Meta's Horizon Studio's Unique Avatars From Text Prompts
'Looks like she has bought the Avatar Construction Set and put together her own...'
VaMEx Biomimetic Mars Robot Inspired By Skink
'Across the ground something small and metallic came, flashing in the dull sunlight of midday.'
