All In The (Robotic) Family: Renting Robotic Replacements To Care For Your “Loved” Ones
image source: http://tinyurl.com/butmxc7
Update to the ongoing mission to establish an emotional connection between humans and robots.
by Nicholas West
Activist Post
November 21, 2013
As the evolution of humanoid robots continues to quicken, it is forcing the question of whether or not we we will love our robotic overlords. Or, are they not “overlords” at all, but soon to be just part of the family?
Well-known transhumanists such as Ray Kurzweil have made their love affair with robots quite clear, despite some already negative economic impacts that robots are having on their human counterparts. One of the stated missions after all is to supposedly unburden humanity from all of the grunt work.
- Self-driving vehicles (Source)
- Housesitting: (Source)
- Butlers: (Video)
- Restaurant service (Source)
- Nursing care: (Video)
- Companionship and Assistance: for pets and people
- Personal Entertainment and Companionship: See ASIMO, and Romeo.
- Teaching (Source)
- Journalism and Writing (Source)
A recent study set out to discover just how far along we are in human-robot relations. German researchers from the International Communication Association made some revealing discoveries within a group of participants. In order to judge a strict emotional connection, two studies focused on empathy. Would people have empathy for something they knew not to be live being? And would they have the same level of empathy toward both humans and robots?
In the first study, 40 participants watched videos of a small dinosaur-shaped robot that was treated in an affectionate or a violent way and measured their level of physiological arousal and asked for their emotional state directly after the videos.
Participants reported feeling more negative watching the robot being abused and showed higher arousal during the negative video.
The second study used functional magnetic-resonance imaging (fMRI), to investigate potential brain correlations of human-robot interaction in contrast to human-human interaction.
The 14 participants were presented videos showing a human, a robot and an inanimate object, again being treated in either an affectionate or in a violent way.
Researchers found that individuals displayed similar neural activation patterns for affection, indicating that they elicit similar emotional reactions.
However, when comparing videos showing abusive behavior, participants showed more negative empathetic concern for humans. (Source)
This was a small group of participants, but it would seem that the edge for now is given slightly to humans.
However, it is interesting to note that the areas most often cited across the board as targeted for eliminating humans in favor of robotic “assistance” are the very vocations that would seem to require the most empathy:
- Education
- Emergency response
- Helping the elderly and infirm
- Patient rehabilitation
“One goal of current robotics research is to develop robotic companions that establish a long-term relationship with a human user, because robot companions can be useful and beneficial tools.
[…]
“A common problem is that a new technology is exciting at the beginning, but this effect wears off especially when it comes to tasks like boring and repetitive exercise in rehabilitation. The development and implementation of uniquely humanlike abilities in robots like theory of mind, emotion and empathy is considered to have the potential to solve this dilemma.”
One could question, then, if it is less a sign that robots are becoming more human, but that actually humans are becoming less so. Is the rise of the robots just a reflection of our own spiritual devolution?
Tech site Motherboard posted a cheeky title for their recent article that might promote some nervous laughter: “To Avoid Your Family, Rent a Robotic Replacement.” A Japanese company has focused on developing a new robot that offers a telepresence for your chosen robotic helper. Instead of rushing home, for example, why not just Skype your new robotic family member and set some tasks for taking care of ailing mom or dad, perhaps the toddler needs to be fed, or the dog needs to be let out 8 pm. While not all of these possibilities are explicitly mentioned or possible for the current model seen in the video below, we have seen rapid development in the area of humanoid robots. As these robots increase in size, computing power, and a more life-like appearance, they are all but certain to be sold as valid additions to the family.
NEC said it will rental plans for its PaPeRo robot will run as low as less than ¥10,000 per month, which is currently around $100. For that price, the 10 inch, three pound robot will sit around your parent’s house, using its camera, speakers, and facial recognition system to help take your place at home and connect you to people via a conduit that’s more intuitive to interaction than simply leaving Skype running on a laptop on your coffee table.
The main goal appears to be bringing bringing telepresence to the consumer market, and allow people to better connect with each other via robot avatars. The program will first be limited to Japan when it starts early next year, but the company expects to expand worldwide. In its announcement of the partner program, NEC said it’s looking for business partners to develop applications for the bot using NEC’s API and Cloud Federated robot platform.
According to a Kyodo report, “the robot can also be applied to such purposes as managing family members’ schedules as well as detecting suspicious individuals when family members are away from home.”
As we look around at our largely selfish, consumer-driven, pharma drug-taking, and increasingly violent society, do we really need more encouragement to shirk our duties toward our fellow companions and family by effectively outsourcing our emotions and responsibilities to the non-living?
Other sources:
http://phys.org/news/2013-08-robots-theyre-family.html
Updated: 11/16/2013
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