Scientists from the University of Herefordshire have today unveiled a robot which has being designed to not only show human emotion, but to actually develop them on its own.
Sounding vaguely like the plot of a well know film (and I say vaguely because I really can’t remember much past the infamous Will Smith shower scene!) Nao the robot can form relationship with humans and develop his attachment bonds at a similar level to that of a one year old child. Depending on how he is treated, he get sad (hunch his shoulders and look down), express happiness (open his arms for a hug) or shy away scared (cowers away until you give him a gentle stroke on the head).
Nao is part of the project Feelix Growing (Feel, Interact, express: a Global approach to development with interdisciplinary grounding), which created the robot as a 24 hour companion for children in hospital. The idea isn’t to replace humans, but to provide a friend in circumstances when a parent, carer, or even doctor can be there. The project eventually intends to create robots who can even care for the elderly.
“Our goal was to create companions who can live with people and support them in daily activities. We want them to live socially and emotionally, to become adapted and to do things in the way humans expect them to” says Lola Canamero, a computer scientist at the university, who led the project.
Watch the video on YouTube to see more of Nao, and marvel that it’s not just the Japanese creating kick ass robots.
Story and picture source- Channel 4 News