Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments
Search

News for nerds, stuff that matters

Scientists Try To Make Robots More Human

Posted by Zonk on Thu Nov 23, 2006 03:38 PM
from the i-am-no-chair-i-am-a-gamer dept.
Robotics Education Technology
mikesd81 writes "The Associated Press has an article about a robot named George that plays hide-and-seek. Impressively, the robot can actually also find a place to hide, and then hunt for its human playmate. Scientists are calling this 'a new level of human interaction'. The machine must take cues from people and behave accordingly. Researchers aim to imply humanity in robotics by creating technology that can connect with humans in a more 'thoughtful' way. The places to first see this technology are in the most human-oriented fields — those that require special care in dealing with the elderly, young and disabled." From the article: "'Robots in the human environment, to me that's the final frontier,' said Cynthia Breazeal, robotic life group director at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 'The human environment is as complex as it gets; it pushes the envelope.' Robotics is moving from software and gears operating remotely - Mars, the bottom of the ocean or assembly lines - to finally working with, beside and even on people. 'Robots have to understand people as people,' Breazeal said. 'Right now, the average robot understands people like a chair: It's something to go around.'"

Related Stories

[+] The First Robotic Musician 128 comments
eldavojohn writes, "A new robot named Haile (pronounced hi-lee), which 'listens' to what musicians are playing and play along with them, has been developed at the [corrected] Georgia Institute of Technology. There are some videos at the GATech site. From the article: "If the musicians change the beat or rhythm, Haile is right there with them. 'With Haile there are two levels of musical knowledge... The basic level is to teach it to learn to identify music, to imitate,' Weinberg said. 'The higher level is stability of rhythm, to be able to distinguish between similar rhythms. In essence, Haile has the ability to recognize if a rhythm is more chaotic or stable, and can adjust its playing accordingly.' I don't know about the rest of Slashdot, but I can't wait for the day when I have my very own Robo Puente to play along with."
[+] Robots Test "Embodied Intelligence" 57 comments
An anonymous reader writes "Here's an interesting article about a robotics experiments designed to test the benefits of coupling visual information to physical movement. This approach, known as embodied cognition, supposes that biological intelligence emerges through interactions between organisms and their environment. Olaf Sporns from Indiana University and Max Lungarella from Tokyo University believe strengthening this connection in robots could make them smarter and more intuitive."
[+] Robot Identifies Human Flesh As Bacon 312 comments
Jearil writes "Wired's 'Table of Malcontents' blog links to an article about a wine-tasting robot that thinks humans taste like bacon. The Japanese robot is intended to act as a personal sommelier, suggesting wines, cheeses, and hors d'oeuvres based on its owners personal tastes. It also apparently thinks humans would be tasty as part of a sandwich." From the article: "Let the robot holocaust commence: robots think we taste like bacon ... Upon being given a sample, he will speak up in a childlike voice and identify what he has just been fed. The idea is that wineries can tell if a wine is authentic without even opening the bottle, amongst other more obscure uses ... like 'tell me what this strange grayish lump at the back of my freezer is/was.' But when some smart aleck reporter placed his hand in the robot's omnivorous clanking jaw, he was identified as bacon. A cameraman then tried and was identified as prosciutto." This is most distressing.
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.

Scientists Try To Make Robots More Human 25 Comments More | Login /

 Full
 Abbreviated
 Hidden
More | Login
Keybindings Beta
Q W E
A S D
Loading ... Please wait.

  • We need different scientists... (Score:5, Funny)

    by creimer (824291) on Thursday November 23 2006, @03:40PM (#16966296) Homepage Journal
    Why can't robots being more feminine?

    • Re: (Score:3, Funny)

      by TitusC3v5 (608284)
      That model is already on the market, actually...they're called wives.

      • Re: (Score:3, Funny)

        by BoberFett (127537)
        They're OK, but have you figured out how to disable the nag screen?

    • Re:We need different scientists... (Score:5, Funny)

      by Tablizer (95088) on Thursday November 23 2006, @04:11PM (#16966480) Homepage Journal
      Why can't robots being more feminine?

      Even regular men can't figure out women. What makes you think a bunch of geeks in labcoats who never date can?
           
      [ Parent ]
      • Dude, I have the modpoints and this could be modded insightful, but that would just be plain sad!

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by Poltras (680608)
          Truth is sad.

          I don't understand how this could be news... Politicians have been known for trying to make humans more robots for years.

    • Well, I can just imagine the complications. Keep in mind this is from a male perspective.

      You: Oh Dot Matrix, you give great helmet.
      Dot Matrix: Don't bust that nut just yet! I will regain activity in two minutes after a firmware upgrade.

  • Ask yourself (Score:5, Funny)

    by saikou (211301) on Thursday November 23 2006, @03:41PM (#16966310) Homepage
    Do we really want "hunting robots"? :)
    100% success rate in hide and seek today -- 100% kill rate tomorrow!

    Robots will kill you :)

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by CODiNE (27417)
      Don't forget self-hiding bugs and cameras. Wheee Minority Report!

    • Re: (Score:3, Funny)

      by IgLou (732042)
      I know! Fighting off the inevitable robot revolution would be so much easier if they don't know how to hide. In fact, they should announce their presence at regular intervals!

      Unit 6: "It is time to open fire on the human infidels."
      Unit 7: "Wait first

  • Huh? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by jazman_777 (44742) on Thursday November 23 2006, @03:47PM (#16966346) Homepage
    The places to first see this technology are in the most human-oriented fields those that require special care in dealing with the elderly, young and disabled."


    Yup, instead of having humans take care of people, we need robots to do it "with a human touch." How much dehumanized can we get? ( A _lot_ more, I know.)

    • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

      by dcam (615646)
      Actually I know someone who was looking into this exact issue a while ago.

      The question was whether robots should be used in aged care. This was for Japan, which is a world leader in robots. She went to a conference with a whole lot of techies (she was, I t

      • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

        by Thomas Shaddack (709926)
        People were more concerned about whether it could be done than whether it should be done.

        There is the issue of the changing demographics. With increasing number of elderly and decreasing number of work-capable population, finding a quality caregiver will

  • Why waste valuable time and money? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Karganeth (1017580) on Thursday November 23 2006, @03:53PM (#16966380)
    Come on. How useful is this thing ever going to be? The idea of making robots more human is ridiculous. Why? Because robots will never be better than humans at being human. And it's not as though there is any shortage of humans, there's over 6 billion of us. Why create inferior copies of ourselves? How about making robots do something USEFUL that humans have a hard time doing? Then I might just applaud their work.

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by x1n933k (966581)
      I would disagree. Customer service here in North America is on a huge decline (base on my own experience, not a study). Why pay someone min wage plus a commission who is going to look like they hate me and the world when I can skip the fake,'Oh hey, how ar

  • Robots That Track Us Down? (Score:5, Funny)

    by DevelopersDevelopers (1027018) on Thursday November 23 2006, @03:57PM (#16966402)
    Robots that track us down? Well, at least the world's scientists have been smart enough to not attach machine guns to their heads [slashdot.org] and make them enjoy the taste of human flesh [slashdot.org]
     
    ...
     
    Oh, damnit...

  • Finally the right way arround (Score:4, Funny)

    by ilotgov (637717) on Thursday November 23 2006, @04:04PM (#16966432)
    Finally after trying for more than a century to make humans more robot like we seem to do it the right way around.

  • Taibos and old people. (Score:5, Interesting)

    by 88NoSoup4U88 (721233) on Thursday November 23 2006, @04:09PM (#16966464) Homepage
    I once seen a (dutch) documentary in which researchers handed over some Aibo-dogs to elderly people:

    Whereas I thought they would immedeately reject it (scary technology and such) I was amazed that not only did they accept it, they also embraced it because of its multiple functions an 'ordinary' pet couldn't offer.
    For one, it didn't need any care that one, once forgetting starts to be a daily part of life, tends to forget (hell, some even forget feeding themselves once dementia has been set in).
    Also, whereas normal pets could be too exhausting, the Aibo with its 'react-to-impulses-from-the-owner'-mechanism, was much easier to comprehend and adjust to.
    It was endearing to see how some of them used the doggy to attract other people's attention in the elderly home, who normally they would have shyed away from talking too; But once the curiousity broke the formality-barrier, they would be socialising very quickly with them. I was amazed how some of them really started treating them as real pets (calling it names, talking to it as if it really understood them), and were shattered when, at the end of the research, they were taken away from them.

    I really -do- think there is an opportunity here, where we could start some more research in this area as to start to make the last stages of life more enjoyable for the less fortunate... Hell, we should be donating Wii's to kids [childsplaycharity.org] -and- elderly homes ;).

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by 88NoSoup4U88 (721233)
      Lol, screwed up the subject: Taibo and old people somehow gets me these horrid images of Billy Blanks (or whatever the dude's name was) practising some of his Tai-Bo (or Tae Bo) in his cheap-ass videos.

      Should be Aibo of course :)
  • AI is making computers behave like they do in movies.

    I read that somewhere.
  • "You still don't get it, do you? He'll find her. That's what he does. That's all he does! You can't stop him. He'll wade through you, reach down her throat, and pull her fucking heart out."

    - Kyle Reese in 'Terminator'

  • hide and seek?? (Score:5, Funny)

    by Danzigism (881294) on Thursday November 23 2006, @11:29PM (#16970240) Homepage
    TAG!! YOU'RE DEAD!!

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by dan828 (753380)
      Yeah, to heck with hide-and-seek playing robots, it's hide-the-salami playing 'bots that the slashdot crowd wants.
Check for more

All trademarks and copyrights on this page are owned by their respective owners. Comments are owned by the Poster. The Rest © 1997-2008 SourceForge, Inc.