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Robotic Baby Seal Wins Top Award
SilentOneNCW writes "The BBC has an article up about everyone's favourite creature — the robotic baby seal. This seal, called Paro, is fitted with sensors beneath its fur and whiskers that allow it to respond to petting. The idea is that by utilizing these sensors and flapping its arms, it can engage in therapy for older patients in nursing homes. It has won a service prize from the Japanese government sponsored Robot Awards 2006. The awards were set up earlier this year by the Japanese government to promote research and development in the robotics industry. Robots are widely used in Japan and are seen as a way to help deal with an aging population, maintaining the labour force and helping care for the elderly."
Or do regular clubs work?
The idea is that by utilizing these sensors and flapping its arms, it can engage in therapy for older patients in nursing homes.
That's a good start. Now how about a lap dance?
With Japan's growing elderly population, now they can interact with a baby harp seal as per usual.
The other robot in the article I can forsee stabbing stubborn old people in the face with a spoonful of peas, finally we have a viable alternative to passively torturing our old people, the game of "hide the dentures" was getting a bit boring.
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If there a pet shortage in Japan? Dogs/Cats also respond realistically when you interact with them. I might understand how they favor robots over unskilled immigrants for manual labor, but why subject the elderly to robot baby seals?!?
... also, I can kill you with my brain.
Nothing in the article seems that advanced. We had a spoon feeding robot for yrs in my grad school lab. The Rumba has been out for a while and the seal seems straight forward.
It is interesting to see how different the robotics field is between the US and Japan. The US focuses on UAV's and others for the defense department/DHS or the space program. While the Japanese focus on human robotic interaction and humanoid robots.
It's a very nice idea, mainly because baby seals are very cute creatures and because real seals smell really bad.
My girlfriend tells me a story that when she went to Namibia, she went to see a beach where seals were having a sunbath. She had to throw away the clothes she was wearing that day because the smell would not come off.
I can't imagine the bad breath of a whale that eats these things.
http://www.dieblinkenlights.com
I hope I never grow old.
If they are condescending enough expect to stick me in some hole in the wall and pet a friggen robot doll, I'd tell them where they can shove it.
Well, unless they give me the source and a computer to hack it, then we may be able to talk. Throw in a deadly laser beam to stick on it's head and I just might wet myself.
It's a decoy for the Canadian seal hunters, or target practice, whichever angle you choose to look at it from.
"allow it to respond to petting"
Could they maybe make one of those attractive robotic girls that does this? It would make the perfect companion for the average slashdot reader.
...so a baby seal walks into a club.
Ok, I understand that some people want to pet a stuffed toy and pretend that it's a baby seal. I mean actually do this more than once.
Let's say that this applies to say, 1% of the population.
Ok, now you stick some robotics into your stuffed toy (they would have said "clockwork" a hundred years ago), does that really raise the percentage of people interested in petting the stuffed toy and pretending that it's a real seal?
I mean I like stuffed toys myself, but I can't imagine that putting machinery inside of one makes it better. Since you don't have to pretend that it's moving or anything, I think you're MORE likely to be thinking of it as just an object, in case you'll think of it as a machine rather than as a pillow.
I mean lets face it, the smartest computerized toy is no nearer to being a real seal than an ordinary doll is.
And isn't the whole premise awfully condescending and insulting? If you want to help old people get over loneliness, why are you foisting toys on them rather than say, time with a real human being, or a real pet?
I have this image in my mind.
Nurse: "Mr. Yamoto, it's time for your therapy"
The adorable robot seal flops into the room.
Patient: "No. Please no. For the love of god, don't put me in a room with that thing!"
Nurse: "Oh don't be a baby Mr. Yamoto, it's for your own good."
The robot looks at the patient and its eyes start to glow red.
Patient: "Anything but the robot seal! Anything! I'm begging you, please no!"
Nurse: "There's nothing to be afraid of. The seal just wants to be petted and help you"
The robot turns to the nurse and gives him an adorable, innocent expression.
Nurse: "See? Its harmless. The seal couldn't hurt a flea!"
The robot turns back to the patient and opens its mouth, revealing razor sharp steel teeth and a small amount of blood draining from the corner of its mouth.
The nurse shuts the patient in a small room with the seal. There's the sound of loud screaming for the next ten minutes, followed by silence.
Nurse (as he drags the patient's bloody corpse from the room): "Ahh, this new robot is great! Takes care of the fussy old folks like nobody's business!"
The Internet is generally stupid
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Don't blow a seal.
... and then they built the supercollider.
Warranty void if seal is broken.