Slashdot Mirror
Robot Pets Almost as Good as Real Ones?
Gallamine writes "Many people claim that pets are good for their owners. But, what about robot pets? Some scientists at the Center for the Human-Animal Bond at Purdue's Veterinary school say yes, robot pets can benefit humans. Petting an AIBO caused the human stress hormone cortisol to decrease in patients, much like a real dog, although the effects weren't as pronounced. Also, AIBOs sent to nursing homes caused the residents to be less depressed and lonely. Similar research is being done by Dr. Dr. Takanori Shibata with his robotic seal named Pero."
A real dog is devoted to its master and euphoricly happy to see him/her.
A robot dog is a pile of parts running a program.
After all, look at how much comfort and companionship a child can get from a simple teddy bear. Same concept, your imagination will create a personality for your little friend if necessary.
why should this effect not be understandable? when we were kids, we had plush-friends that helped us e.g. falling asleep. now having a moving, mechanic sounding fluffy battery-powered friend, that only seems to express the ongoing of industrialisation / techdom.
i really don't wonder =)
No robot can ever replace my pet rock!
I wonder how much an electric sheep would cost...
And what happens when you give the patients brand new 60" LCD TVs instead? Is it really pets, or just the novelty of new toys?
I do understand that not all can have a real animal.. but.. for the rest of you, theres alot of loney pets in diffrent shelters around your country, why not save one? I did, and I cant understand how attached I got to the little one, his now a part of the family. Amazing experience as I never had any animals before, and they dont require alot of maintainance either.. easyer then keeping a flower alive, as pets complain when they need food/water.. :-)
of course robot pets will work, just like teddy bear works. And is much cheaper.
#
#\ @ ? Colonize Mars
#
But there are some places where they can't live, such as nursing homes. So can a robot pet provoke the same reactions?
Not to nitpick, but this is not always true. I have an elderly relative in a nursing home, and the home itself has a canine companion. (However, I can see how it would be difficult/impossible for individual residents to have pets.)
Second, the effects of Animal Assisted Therapy are well known. It makes sense that a replicant (like the Aibo) that offers a subset of relevant canine functionality could offer a subset of the health benefits as well.
I want to drag this out as long as possible. Bring me my protractor.
...by woody allen (in Sleeper)
"...and after you've moved into your permanent home, you'll enjoy mechanized servants. Until then, you can have a computerized dog."
[rags the robot dog, in computer voice] Woof. Woof. Woof. Hello, I'm Rags.
[woody allen] Is he housebroken, or will he be leaving little batteries all over the floor?
"Beware of bugs in the above code; I have only proved it correct, not tried it." -- Donald Knuth
They don't get sick, thus don't have vet fees amounting to hundreds a year (if not thousands). They don't pee, they don't shit. They don't cause lawsuits from the paper boy who just got his gonads chewed. And you can silent a yapping robot pet by taking out its batteries and not get the SPCA on your ass.
So hell yeah... robot pets are definitely better than those damn pesky biological ones!
Welley Corporation - SLM Scammers
When I come home I turn on my computer. I browse a bit. Read slashdot. Checkup on a few online strategic games to see how things are going, update my website, code a bit...
All these actions are to make me feel alive. To puzzle with tiny bits in my life. A dog, cat, fish etc. would be the same.
When I was a child I had an aquarium. I could look at it. I needed to feed the fish. Sometimes I had to clean it up. It usually took several hours but was quite fun. Other times I bought a new fish and put into the tank.
We also had a dog. It was always happy to see me. It greeted me when I came from school. I hated when it was my turn to go out with it, especially when the weather was bad, but that's a part of life.
And now I pet my computer. It do make me feel happy. Time goes by. I have something to do.
Maybe it's not about the pet... maybe it's about having something (slightly) useful to do when we come home from a long day at work. Something relaxing. Something to take our minds away from work and into idle mode... just maybe.
-:) Oh no - not again.
www.rednebula.com
Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin to slit throats.
A robot dog is a pile of parts running a program.
At least you won't feel guilty about vivisecting your robot dog... and it is alot less messy.
Only to idiots, are orders laws.
-- Henning von Tresckow
"Doctor! Doctor! I feel like a robotic pet!"
"Yes, yes, calm down. Aibo-leive you."
That "pets" fake or real are good for you is without debate. From a teddy bear to a dog they make us feel secure and give us something to care for. Yet in a way these pets are still a replacement, you don't give a toddler a real pet to take off so you give them a teddy bear instead. If you cannot or do not want to have kids a dog can be used as a replacement.
So why is it stupid to use more robotic teddy bears for older people who need something that reacts. Sure there are well established projects that bring real pets into the lives of the sick or the elderely but this is still out of reach of some people.
Allergies are the simplest reason. What if the patient simply can handle real animals. Should they live in complete isolation?
What if a patient is mentally incapable of dealing with a real pet. A patient prone to uncontrolled rage or just uncontrolled movement in general would be hell on the pets. A robot doesn't mind being flung across a room or being severly beaten.
And what of the other way around? Pets bite. Do you really want a bleeder to be around a real bet wich bites and scratches?
I also seen some experiments where mentally disabled people dealt with robots better then with humans. A robot is never moody never changes it pattern. I forgot the name but one mental handicap makes it very hard for its sufferers to deal with emotion in other people. A robot cat would always react exactly the same making interaction a lot easier for them.
I see this as a very nice tech solution to a problem with no bad side effects. No real dogs and cats won't be replaced for those who can take proper care of them. Yet for those who can't because it would be bad for the human or the pet this provides an alternative.
On the other hand, we should not see this as an excuse to deny people real pets. Why exactly do a lot of homes for the elderly deny them their pets? Oh sure I know the reasons, they just don't seem very good ones. Then again I never vote for the guy offering the biggest taxcut.
MMO Quests are like orgasms:
You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.