Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Sony's Robot Attends Pre-School

Posted by timothy on from the plenty-of-robots-went-to-school-with-me dept.

Darren writes "Sony's Qrio humanoid robot has been attending a Californian pre school to play with children under the age of 2 since March to test if robots can live harmoniously with humans. I wonder if the testing includes monitoring the 'nightmare status' of the pre-schoolers?"

3 of 228 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Motivation? by Tom · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Humans are driven by various needs (e.g. shelter/sex/food/beer) - what needs do the robots have?

    The driving interest in toddlers (and that's what the article is about) certainly isn't sex or beer, and it also isn't shelter or fod - which is still provided by the parents.

    The driving interest in very young kids is pure interest. Our brains are just wired that way. Curiosity is a built-in feature.

    --
    Assorted stuff I do sometimes: Lemuria.org
  2. Nightmares, yeah right by Tom · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I wonder if the testing includes monitoring the 'nightmare status' of the pre-schoolers?"

    I wonder if the submitter has any clue as to what he's talking about.
    It's pretty difficult to give toddlers nightmares. They're not easily scared. They do cry over the slightest problem, mostly because crying is the only well-developed form of verbal communication available to them at that age. They are also excellent at forgetting whatever the problem was and getting on with their lifes. Watch a kid hurt itself. Then go away and watch the same kid 10 minutes later.

    It'd take a serious event to cause nightmares in those kids, and that machine has neither the looks nor the sheer physical power that would be required.

    --
    Assorted stuff I do sometimes: Lemuria.org
  3. Clowns and wax figures by Mr+Guy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I think they'll find that it's not a matter of familiarity. It's a survival reflex and it's pretty deep. Your brain flags "almost human" things as grotesque and something to be avoided. It's why many people are afraid of clowns and wax figures. They look almost human, but still look wrong.

    People would be far more comfortable with Bender-like robots than with "I, Robot" style robots because they don't try to be human, just humanoid. If it looks sufficiently non-human to avoid triggering that reflex, they'll be alright. Other than that it'd have to be completely perfect, like Data.

    --
    Never confuse volume with power.