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06/13/08--14:21: Pomi robot penguin shows its emotions with smells (chan 1759333)

We've seen plenty of robots that attempt to display emotions, but none quite like this Pomi penguin bot developed by Korea's Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, which can emit two unspecified smells in addition to employing some more common means of letting you know how it feels. Those other options include a "heart box" on its chest that changes its heartbeat based on its mood, and movable lips, eyebrows and pupils that'll let it make faces at you, along with the usual sensors to follow you around, and voice recognition to help it recite some pre-programmed answers. Unlike some other similar bots, however, this one is apparently going to actually be commercially available by the end of next month, although there's no word on a price tag just yet.

[Via The Raw Feed]


Filed under: Robots

Pomi robot penguin shows its emotions with smells originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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07/30/08--12:03: Heart Robot loves to be hugged, express emotions (chan 1759333)

Here's your afternoon dose of cuteness, ready or not. David McGoran's Heart Robot has made its way into London's Science Museum, and for good reason. This intelligent robot not only possesses a face with moving eyes and an external heart that blinks depending on what's happening, but it actually encourages people to hug and cuddle it like a real human. Seen as being "among the first robots to signify a new era of emotional machines used for medical treatment and enjoyment," this creature could one day become a mainstay in nursing homes where the elderly could interact with it and hopefully benefit in some metaphysical manner. Check out the read link for a video oozing with adorableness.

[Via TimesOnline]

Filed under: Robots

Heart Robot loves to be hugged, express emotions originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Jul 2008 14:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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10/13/08--13:04: Mahru the robot dances to mask its emotional insecurities (chan 1759333)



We've enjoyed watching KIST's Hubo do crazy things like wear the face of Albert Einstein and ride a Segway, but we haven't given as much attention to its brother Mahru. Feeling left out, the biped learned to dance with its upper body whilst walking around -- an impressive feat, considering it wasn't all that long ago that scientists first managed to get these things to take five steps without falling flat on their faces. Mahru also releases scents to express its artificial emotions, so you should be able to smell something fishy when it achieves sentience and begins angrily plotting to destroy its creators. Take a gander at a South Korean TV news report after the break.

Continue reading Mahru the robot dances to mask its emotional insecurities

Filed under: Robots

Mahru the robot dances to mask its emotional insecurities originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Oct 2008 15:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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08/14/10--10:44: Prototype of robot that develops emotions on interacting with humans officially complete (chan 1759333)



The first prototype of a Nao robot that can develop emotions as it interacts with a human caregiver has been completed. A team across Europe was led by Dr. Lola Cañamero of the University of Herefordshire in the UK to develop the bot, which differs in several significant ways from those that came before it. These robots develop over time in much the way that a child does, learning to interact with and respond to the human beings around them. Modeled after human and chimpanzee childhood development paths, they are programmed to be highly adaptable to the people around them, and to become attached to whatever person is most suited to its needs and 'personality' profile. Over time, the more they interact, the more they learn and bond to the human being. These little ones, moreover, are capable of expressing a wide range of emotions, including anger, frustration, fear and happiness. The next steps are to research the bots' emotional and non-linguistic behavior, and to move toward combining linguistic and non-linguistic communication to become further attached and adapted to them. Yes, we want one.

Prototype of robot that develops emotions on interacting with humans officially complete originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 14 Aug 2010 12:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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08/16/10--16:16: Flobi robot head realistic enough to convey emotions, not realistic enough to give children nightmares (hopefully) (chan 1759333)






We've seen our fair share of robots meant to convey emotions, and they somehow never fail to creep us out on some level. At least Flobi, the handiwork of engineers at Bielefeld University in Germany, eschews "realism" for cartoon cuteness. But don't let it fool you, this is a complicated device: about the size of a human head, it features a number of actuators, microscopes, gyroscopes, and cameras, and has the ability to exhibit a wide range of facial expressions by moving its eyes, eyebrows and mouth. The thing can even blush via its cheek-mounted LEDs, and it can either take on the appearance of a male or female with swappable hair and facial features. And the cartoonish quality of the visage is deliberate. According to a paper submitted by the group to the ICRA 2010 conference, the head is "far enough from realistic not to trigger unwanted reactions, but close enough that we can take advantage of familiarity with human faces." Works for us! Video after the break.

[Thanks, Simon]

Continue reading Flobi robot head realistic enough to convey emotions, not realistic enough to give children nightmares (hopefully)

Flobi robot head realistic enough to convey emotions, not realistic enough to give children nightmares (hopefully) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Aug 2010 18:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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12/23/10--18:01: Cambridge developing 'mind reading' computer interface with the countenance of Charles Babbage (video) (chan 1759333)



For years now, researchers have been exploring ways to create devices that understand the nonverbal cues that we take for granted in human-human interaction. One of the more interesting projects we've seen of late is led by Professor Peter Robinson at the Computer Laboratory at the University of Cambridge, who is working on what he calls "mind-reading machines," which can infer mental states of people from their body language. By analyzing faces, gestures, and tone of voice, it is hoped that machines could be made to be more helpful (hell, we'd settle for "less frustrating"). Peep the video after the break to see Robinson using a traditional (and annoying) satnav device, versus one that features both the Cambridge "mind-reading" interface and a humanoid head modeled on that of Charles Babbage. "The way that Charles and I can communicate," Robinson says, "shows us the future of how people will interact with machines." Next stop: uncanny valley!

Continue reading Cambridge developing 'mind reading' computer interface with the countenance of Charles Babbage (video)

Cambridge developing 'mind reading' computer interface with the countenance of Charles Babbage (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Dec 2010 21:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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08/26/11--06:20: ETRO robot wears its heart on its face, promises to love you (chan 1759333)



We prefer our robots stick to the household cleaning chores, a little DJing action even, and then go right back to the closet. But, when we first glimpsed this emoting automaton from Korea's Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, our fears of the day of robot reckoning subsided slightly. The ETRI-built robot (or ETRO for short) is currently "employed" as an ambassador for human-robot relations at Daejon's National Science Museum, treating amused passersby to outspoken professions of love backed by its LED-lit facial expressions. Originally designed as a reading robot back in 2003, version 2.0 of this humanoid helper was created with a greater cause in mind -- showcasing robotics as promising Korean growth industry. Rather than let those economic concerns muddle our whimsy, let's just focus on the AI-assisted cuteness in the video below.

Continue reading ETRO robot wears its heart on its face, promises to love you

ETRO robot wears its heart on its face, promises to love you originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Aug 2011 08:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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