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Care-O-Bot 4 Personal Service Robot
Care-O-Bot 4 is the latest in a line of robotic servants from Fraunhober IPA.
(Care-O-Bot 4 video)
Andreas Haug, co-Founder and Managing Director of Phoenix Design, adds: “Care-Obot 4 is a successful symbiosis of design and engineering, as well as functionality and emotion, which quickly encourages user interaction.” Its streamlined design, with two arms attached at the side and a type of head, mean that the robot is reminiscent of a human being. However, developers did not want its appearance to be over-human, as this would “encourage false expectations with regard to its capabilities” for users, says Ulrich Reiser. It is just the robot’s “internal values” which are human: it always maintains a respectful distance, shows what it has understood and what it intends to do, while also being able to make simple gestures and reflect emotions. As with previous generations, social role models were used as a guiding vision in developing the design and functionality. While the concept for the Care-O-bot 3 was a more reserved, cautious butler, its successor is as courteous, friendly and affable as a gentleman.
SF legend Philip K. Dick was thinking about helping people with robots in the 1950's. Here's what he says about robants in his 1953 short story The Impossible Planet:
Behind Norton came a withered old woman. Beside her moved a gleaming robant, a towering robot servant, supporting her with his arm. The robant and the tiny old woman entered the control room slowly..."Irma Vincent Gordon," Andrews murmured. He glanced up. "Is that right?"
The old woman did not move.
"She is totally deaf, sir," the robant said.
Update 15-May-2021: For an earlier reference, see the electrical valet from The Lord of Tranerica by Stanton Coblentz. End update.
Via IEEE Spectrum.
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