This article got me to thinking what our robots do and should look like. As humans we tend to try and make things look like us, our pets are now wearing our clothes, and the greatest number of 'aww" pictures are of animals that seem to be smiling like us. Is it ego? Comfort zone? Safety? Should our Roomba have a pleasant human face as it whisks away our dirt? Our smartphones have voices to soothe us? Our smart appliances arms to hug us? Are we being primed to integrate more seamlessly with robots than with other humans? Which is better in the long run, robots that appear human or more traditionally robotic? And why? As Arsenio would've said those many years ago, "Things that make you go hmmm"
This article got me to thinking what our robots do and should look like. As humans we tend to try and make things look like us, our pets are now wearing our clothes, and the greatest number of 'aww" pictures are of animals that seem to be smiling like us. Is it ego? Comfort zone? Safety? Should our Roomba have a pleasant human face as it whisks away our dirt? Our smartphones have voices to soothe us? Our smart appliances arms to hug us? Are we being primed to integrate more seamlessly with robots than with other humans? Which is better in the long run, robots that appear human or more traditionally robotic? And why? As Arsenio would've said those many years ago, "Things that make you go hmmm"