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A New Face For Robotics
tanmay writes "Android technology has moved a step forward with the creation of a high-tech polymer called 'f'rubber,' which resembles human skin. Its creator, David Hanson has implemented it in a robot called Hertz, as this report from CNN gives us the details. Another question that the report brings up is the need to make robots resemble humans. Ray Kurzweil thinks Hanson's work is significant because realistic facial movement will play an important role in the way future androids respond to humans, and has the following to say, 'Intelligence significantly below that of normal humans stands out more with a robot that looks strikingly human. This creates the impression of a human with impaired intelligence, which may strike some as disturbing.'"
More realistic seeming skin could be a bonus not only for robotics as in AI, but as in prosthetics.
Artificial limbs can be made to seem more lifelike with such substance, making them less obtrusive for those who use them.
I don't know why we have an obsession with having our robots look human! In terms of usefulness they would be better off being built in a manner that best suits their purpose, not trying to pretend they're something they're not.
Consider movies like Toy Story, where they have animated humans that they've tried to make look real... of course it's easy to tell that they are not real, and in fact they have an element of unreality and unbelievability about them. I would connect more with a straight cartoon character, where there is no attempt to make them look real then I would with something that is trying to be real, but isn't quite.
Part of the reason designers want human-like robots, is that it helps to mask their ineptness at particular skills. When you see something that is clearly artificial, you immediately summon up a set of presuppositions about their abilities and failings. A similar thing occurs when you go to a movie after being told it contains CGI: you look for any seeming artificiality, and attribute it to CGI (even if, as is often the case in some movies, its not CGI at all).
For robot designers, then, the goal is to prevent you from associating with their creations those same problems you already associate with artificial intelligence. Instead, they want you to be comfortable with it, but also forgiving in the same way you are with a child or otherwise intellectually lacking individual (assuming they're not an asshole).
Consider this: suppose, when checking in at the airport, you were greeted by a fembot that seemed entirely human externally. When you speak with her, you may eventually realize she's artificial (assuming you dont notice the dozen other, identical, fembots performing similar tasks for your fellow fliers) but at least at first you're going to forgive her more difficulty ("I'm sorry, could you repeat that?") than you might with a simple computer terminal.
Of course I'm neither a sociologist nor an engineer, so this is all my interpretation of the situation, as opposed to speaking first-hand.
That said, I think one of the coolest uses for this will be for prosthetics for humans: imagine if your false hand could look perfect, even if it doesn't move perfectly? Even more extreme, imagine if the fake skin covering a portion of your face (which is attached with careful glues/snaps/etc.) looked entirely realistic?
"Stumble before you crawl"
Honestly, are people afraid of androids looking like humans because it's human nature, or because of Hollywood? I have no problem with a robot looking like a human. I still honestly believe that AI will never exist, nor any form of AI that even closely resembles mankinds.
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Am I the ONLY one who thinks of the original Flubber movie instead of the one with Robin Williams? God I feel old.
Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade
Resembling an animated corpse may be disturbing, but it shouldn't be forgotten that there's a really compelling reason to make humanoid robots:
Infrastructure.
It's a huge efficiency to make robots that are able to use all the stuff we've made specifically for humanoids (cars, stairs, doors, chairs, tables, vacuum cleaners, various handheld implements, segways =] ). If you make general purpose humanoid robot, you automatically get a chauffer, a maid, etc., that can use all the tools of the trade. Rather than needing special robot cars, special robot vacuums, etc.
Kinda OT, but the "anti-human-robot" sentiment set me off. Sorry.
grib.
maybe
Well, they also have to be past the uncanny valley. If they just made robots close to realistic, and ended up in that area, people would go nuts left and right. Imagine if, when checking in at the airport, you suddenly realized that the person behind the counter was a zombie, and, in fact, there are a dozen identical zombies around. Even if you know what's going on, you won't be able to shake the feeling that you're in a horror movie.
If they built robots in actual human corpses, people would be horrified. If they built robots in bodies that are indistinguishable from human corpses, people wouldn't be able to tell. In order for people to not freak out, they have to think either that the things are real live people or that there isn't a human body involved.
Even aside from this sort of perception, I think people would be more disturbed to interact with an intellectually lacking individual, particularly one who additionally does not act quite human. Even actual humans with autism or Tourette's tend to disturb people who aren't used to them.
The question of whether a computer can think is no more interesting than the question of whether a submarine can swim.
Making robots resemble humans is, in my opinion, counter-productive.
:)
Instead, let's create facsimilies of creations such as Chii, from the Chobits anime. It's better to be on the artificial side of the uncanny valley, and make cute bishoujo robots
Who here WOULDN'T want a cute persocom as their assistant??!!
Visceral Psyche Films