#socialrobotics

[hebasoffar]

What can Nadine robot do?, Can Nadine answer questions and detect emotion?

[kerryanncleaver]

Currently re-reading Sherry Turkle's Alone Together—and honestly, it’s been a slightly unsettling read. 📖 The book delves into our evolving relationship with technology, particularly the rise of social robots designed to replace human connection. From robot dogs and Furbies to children’s companions and elder care, this rapid technological progression raises a critical question:

Are we forgetting that nothing can truly replace the presence and compassion of another human being?

One point that really struck me: 📱 “Studies show that if two people are having lunch, a cell phone at the table steers the conversation to lighter subjects, and each party feels less invested in the other. It’s not surprising. Each person in the conversation knows that with a phone on the landscape, you can be interrupted at any time.”

This resonates deeply. I already try to keep my phone out of sight during meaningful conversations, but seeing the science behind it reinforces how essential it is to be present.

Other powerful quotes from the book: 👉 “We seem determined to give human qualities to objects and content to treat each other as things.” 👉 “Technology makes us forget what we know about life.” 👉 “Where we examine the assumption that we are getting something important from these new technologies, we must ask whether a technology expands our capacities and possibilities or exploits our vulnerabilities?” 👉 “People are lonely. The network is seductive. But if we are always on, we may deny ourselves the rewards of solitude.”

As a designer, these insights are crucial. The projects I aim to be a part of are not just about bridging the gap between humans and the natural world—but also about bringing us closer to each other.

Turkle’s research is a powerful reminder to reflect on our relationship with technology and consider how we can shift toward more compassionate, human-centered designs. 🌿

[mystyle2020]

MISA ROBOT REVIEW | Lets see the new updated features & the cheapest price with discounts of MISA. How to buy online on Amazon in india,dubai,uk.etc why it is popular nowadays.

[codingheroesonline]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Richard Campbell (@aiinyourclass)

Clicbot - I would really like to know what you guys think about the potential of this new robot? - It’s quite expensive so I’m getting as many opinions as I can before I support the Kickstarter campaign. - How would you use a robot like this? Will it end up collecting dust on the shelf like Jibo? Or will it be a great learning tool? - Let me know your thoughts in the comments! - DM for the full Kickstarter video! - @kickstarter #crowdfunding #clicbot #robotics #stemeducation #stemforkids @andystechgarage @bigheart_asia #socialrobot #ces #coding #blockly #python #pythonprogramming #robotics #roboticeducation #kickstartercampaign #kidscancode (at Busan, South Korea) https://www.instagram.com/p/B8bqRWYHIxg/?igshid=bcl0vaojldjn

[adugalm]

Emerging Practices 2: Say hA.I. to Paul

This week’s blog consists of identifying a social robot related to an area of personal interest (preferably to do with our pathway within Creative Technologies). If you’ve seen my body of work, you’ll know that psychology and play dominate its entirety. I’d even argue that last year’s first sem project Choke was a great embodiment of emerging practices with my preferred fields; an integration of Virtual Reality as a therapy and storytelling tool for depression and anxiety.

I found some difficulty identifying something as niche or as interesting as my project, while still remaining viable, promising and pleasing. Approaching robotics from a standpoint that is less than favourable makes it difficult for me to enjoy the field, much less find thrill in its ‘emerging’ leaders. At this point they are still too clunky, too affordably modular, and too targeted for the idealistic standards I have built in my head.

Take my case study for example, the Care-O-bot 4, equally as creative in name as proposed function. On opening its informational page, the viewer is greeted with a four picture slide show of Care-O haphazardly Photoshopped into four different scenes titled somewhere between “Possible application: assistance in the kitchen” and “Possible application: assist humans with tasks.” Why, if every single social robot developer, promises the same generic proposal can they not band together and emergence the practice at 10x the speed? Back to poor Care-O, who’s fourth iteration is apparently affable than its predecessor, Care-O bot 3, who wasn’t as “courteous and friendly as a gentleman.”

Despite its shortcomings in my expectations, Care-O has been made “simple to use” for its potential consumer market. With an accessible touchscreen for a head, optional 1/2/no arms, spherical joints, an LED riddled information reading chest, and open dev programmable software, the social robot applies its sleek flashlight body to any purpose one gives it. This is perhaps why I was led to the site, after its proposed application as some form of helper in the medical industry was plastered amongst a number of third party robot reviewing sites.

Care-O’s biggest and most widely covered claim to fame is its iteration as Paul, the store greeter at Saturn-Markt Ingolstadt, a German electronics chain. Programmed to ask customers what the need and bring them to the designated aisle while affording small talk, Chief Digital Officer Martin Wild at Media-Saturn-Holding states that “With Paul, we are offering our customers the opportunity to get to know one of the most advanced robots in the world.”

This statement is nothing to scoff at: Paul even won the 2017 retail technology award in Europe for Best Customer Experience, after being coined as having “the gift of gab!” Saturn plans to implant other Care-Os in further chains to boost the company’s marketability and experimentation in emerging practices.

I have no idea how much Care-O costs, nor am I interested in purchasing one in the slightest. I don’t even know if I can say that It further justifies an abandonment of my low libido for the robotics phenomena. To myself, a cynic scarred by a way-too-young screening of Blade Runner, I want so much more from what robots currently give. 

There is so much promise for the future of intelligent, learnable AI integrated into the home and other systems that what I see on the market today is just disappointing? Perhaps further investigation into that specific field would yield a bigger stir, but as of this point from what I see, robots like Care-O distinguish themselves from others only by the number of different tray attachments you can slot into their beautifully spherically shaped claws.

References

https://www.care-o-bot.de/en/care-o-bot-4.html

https://www.mediamarktsaturn.com/en/press/press-releases/paul-robot-now-also-welcomes-saturn-customers-berlin-and-hamburg

https://www.care-o-bot.de/content/dam/careobot/en/documents/pressreleases/2015_01_15_Care-O-bot_4_en_final.pdf

https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/media-spotlight/201411/the-rise-the-robot-therapist

-m

[fixed1t]

Amazing EMO Desktop Pet Robot Dancing To Dance To Music Voice Command

Here is my final great Dance from EMO this time responding to the EMO  Dance To Music  Voice Command using his great voice recognition. To watch the whole series start here: fixed1t EMO Unboxing Videos Part 1 Link: https://youtu.be/IOqIbWUPbIM For those who haven't seen the Unboxing videos he is the link, if you waiting for EMO to arrive I would advise you watch this before he arrives, so you understand the procedures to get him up and running as soon as possible. Background Information: Almost hourly there are new Kickstarters prophesying the last AI intelligent robot and a friend told me about EMO and how he was thinking of investing in the company through kickstarter to get an EMO AI Desktop Pet. By the time I looked at the website Living.AI had achieved their financial goals and although they had nothing ready to ship they had Special Deals available, so I opted in. Its been months and months but despite the pandemic they have begun shipping EMO but being in the UK I was not expecting to receive EMO AI Desktop Pet before the last quarter of 2021.  But an innocuous parcel arrived today from China and as I started to undo it I realised it was EMO so decided to video the unboxing. In this Part 1, I unboxed my EMO AI Desktop Pet and his extras here is the link:   https://youtu.be/IOqIbWUPbIM In this Part 2 I will charge him up and waken him to my crazy world. In Part 3 In did a problem solving video.  make sure you subscribe. In Part 4 of my EMO AI Desktop Pet Robot Videos where I looked into some of the Speech Recognition commands. In this video EMO responds to the voice command EMO Dance To Music? Malcolm aka  @FIXED1T   

#fixed1tAIrobots 

#EMO 

#troubleshootingrobots 

#fixed1tROBOTrepairs 

#toyREPAIRshed   #fixed1t

[miraenda]

Misa fits right in with Jibo & Friends #misarobot #jiboandfriends #socialrobots #companionrobots #petrobots #jibolives (at Old Sixth Ward, Houston) https://www.instagram.com/p/CJo77_4rNcg/?igshid=1vywddgeb3ore

[90jeduardo-blog]

Buddy the Social Robot is Somehow Not Dead Yet More than two years after Buddy was supposed to ship to Indiegogo backers, its creators have a plan https://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/home-robots/buddy-the-social-robot-is-somehow-not-dead-yet?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+IeeeSpectrum+%28IEEE+Spectrum%29 . . . . #buddy #socialrobot #social #robot #robots #robotics #tech #technology #AI #artificialintelligence #startup #startups #start-ups #leader #leadership #inenglish #entrepreneurlifestyle #talentmatters #entrepreneurs #entrepreneur #motivation #business #career #businesslike #Forbes #innovative #innovation #entrepreneurial #entrepreneurship https://www.instagram.com/p/ByD2x-BASIa/?igshid=c2hdx5oen30m

[valleysmabaoha-blog]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mabaoha Facial Cleansing (@mabaoha918)

Robot dance with Kupedance Rabbit.Check more on Valley's Mabaoha Youtube Channel #besttoy #gifttoy #lifiatubehd#socialrobot#socialrobots#socialrobotics#mabaoharobots#kidstoyph#kidstuff#toycollection#toyplanet https://www.instagram.com/p/BoIogwmghhw/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=qpsxh6ymyz5h

[anthrochristianramsey]

Morning Read 430-5AM: Expressing Thought: Improving Robot Readability with Animation Principles

http://www.leilatakayama.org/downloads/Takayama.Animation_HRI2011_prepress.pdf

#mxmnml #socialrobotics 

[mithackmed]

We’re back from Singapore!

Soaring skyscrapers, architectural wonders, spotless streets and sidewalks, it would not come as a surprise to many that Singapore (SG) is a relatively young country. Having attained independence in 1965, Singaporeans quickly set about building a country in a way to distinguish themselves from the much larger countries around them. For a population as diverse as Singaporeans, this was no mean feat. In a land mass 1/4 the size of Rhode Island, the 6 million citizens represent a diverse ethnic and religious spectrum. There are Malays, Chinese, Indians, Christians, Muslims, and Buddhists. What then ties these people together? A strong sense of national pride, or rather in the principles that have made this small island a thriving tourist destination and a financial hub of the world.

My first conversation in SG was with my taxi driver from the airport. From this, it became clear that the driving force of the country was the populations’ strong work ethic. He explained that few welfare programs exist, as the pervasive thought is that nobody should expect a handout if they do not contribute to society in the form of work. The government also employs strict rules it expects everyone to abide by, and reinforces this through the strictest punishment: corporal punishment in the form of caning is often handed out to perpetrators of vandalism. The right to protest is nonexistent, and the country has been ruled by the same party for the last 60 years, and has had 3 rulers: 2 of which are father and son.

National military service is required of all men. Rights are often curtailed in the interest of public good. For example, Singaporeans must pay a SGD 100 entry fee to casinos on the island, although foreigners are exempt from this. The logic behind this and other similar rules, are that they are all in the greater good of the country and its citizens. Other laws ensure preferential treatment of citizens: A 40% property purchase tax is levied on foreigners but not citizens, in an attempt to keep real estate prices low. As a result, 85% of Singaporeans own their home. 

The population seems content with this arrangement, by and large. While sectarian tensions often simmer, this quasi-nanny state has ensured that SG is a safe (crime is virtually nonexistent), clean, and friendly place to live. That it has managed to do this without citizens demanding greater welfare programs is quite remarkable. Healthcare is a prime example of this.

The government plays a leading role in the advocacy for sustained population health. Through heavy alcohol and tobacco taxation, and other public health campaigns and initiatives, this policy is rooted in the belief that prevention provides the cheapest and most effective way of keeping people healthy (while an entrée at a restaurant can be as cheap as $2, the local beer sells for $5-$10). 

70-80% of healthcare is provided by the public sector. Citizens are covered by a single universal basic coverage, although it is not free. Instead, citizens are mandated to place a certain percentage of monthly income into a Central Provident Fund (CPF) account, which is roughly equivalent to social security in the US, but also includes enrollment in the healthcare program, called MediSave. Medisave essentially acts as a savings account for each individual/family. Medisave provides subsidized healthcare to citizens, and the out of pocket expense comes out of the Medisave account. In this way, unnecessary tests, hospitalizations, and medical expenses are curtailed, while still remaining affordable. Medisave, however, can only be used in the public health system. While public hospitals and clinics provide efficient, high quality of care, certain things can be lacking. The lack of a primary care provider or family doctor is an example of this. Also, the lack of risk (and thus, resource) pooling of Medisave accounts, open the door for the possibility of an individual incurring huge expenses for an unforeseen chronic medical condition. As a result, citizens often purchase additional insurance such as catastrophic/accident or pre-cancer insurance riders.

This is not to say that the poor or needy go without healthcare if they are unable to pay. Other government programs include ElderShield (for the elderly but only up to 85), MediFund (for the poor), and Medishield (which helps offset catastrophic accident medical bills). In this respect, it is not unlike the health systems of the west. However, the admirable work ethic that pervades through the population seems to avoid people trying to take advantage of this system and allow it to be viable.

While lacking in some respects, this structure has allowed SG to run one of the most efficient health care systems in the world, with ~4% of GDP spent on health care, compared with the US’ 17%.

On February 10, 2017, 6p.m., 80 clinicians, developers, entrepreneurs, and engineers watched the kickoff, listened to an esteemed panel, including Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, who helped us understand the importance of social robotics. In particular, the main takeaway is to remember that technology needs to complement the human user, not replace or make us obsolete.

31 pain points later, 12 teams formed. Teams chose to tackle problems ranging from fall prevention to medical compliance to physical therapy, each team incorporating a Loomo Segway into their solution. Some teams hacked 48-hours straight from the first day to the last to get their prototypes ready for final presentations!

Because everyone used a robot, each team pitched the standard 3-min presentation but also had 2 min to demo their in front of the audience. Judges had an extremely difficult time deliberating the top 3, and here were the winning teams:

Bot-ler: using Loomo’s mechanical advantage to handle challenges that involve manpower in nursing homes, including pushing wheelchairs and pulling heavy items.

D.O.R.I.: inspired by the Finding Nemo character, D.O.R.I. identifies patient with facial recognition and tracks mental decline by conversing and playing memory games in order to detect and treat Alzheimer’s early on.

Nurse on Wheels: extending the nurse’s hands, ears, and eyes into the patient’s home to monitor chronic patients with hypertension, which is clinically known to give rise to many other long-term health complications.

We’re proud of all the teams for using a full-fledged robot into their healthcare hacks and coming up with real solutions specific and generalizable to the needs of elderly care in Singapore. It was a great opportunity for the MIT HackMed team to learn about Singapore and some of its healthcare challenges! Can’t wait to see the post-hack follow-up for teams in a few months!

[rocky-ai]

Your #motivational #robot at #home. A friendly social robot as your #personaltrainer is coming to life! #OMG 🤖👉 look 🙃😎😲 Follow us and learn more www.rockyrobots.com . . . . #rockyrobots #robots #robotics #innovation #tech #startup #companion #social #로봇 #motivation #future #smart #android #robotstagram #socialrobot #personalrobot #humanoidrobot #wow #artificialintelligence #rocky

[ethtropy]

#SocialRobots are dead (at least #Anki, #Jibo & #Kuri are), long live the Social Robots! Four lessons that can help us transform this failure to a future success for #SocialRobotics. #GuyHoffman #HRC2Lab #IntuitionRobotics #IEEESpectrum

[surveycircle]

Tweeted

Participants needed for online survey! Topic: "Chat with a robot online – Testing robot interactions" https://t.co/CiCHkhiT6u via @SurveyCircle #VUamsterdam #robots #robotics #SocialRobots #communications #VrijeUniversiteitAmsterdam https://t.co/ALXb61ZJ1l

— Daily Research @SurveyCircle (@daily_research) May 12, 2023

[blockgeni]

Importance of a furry robot

Could furry social robots help bolster moods and reduce pain when human to human contact isn't an option, for example, during a pandemic? According to a new study by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) researchers published in Scientific Reports, a one-time, hour-long session with a plush, seal-like social robot reduced pain and oxytocin levels, and increased happiness. The Japanese social robot, PARO, emits seal-like sounds and moves its head and flippers in response to being spoken to and touched. Human-to-human contact has been found to bolster mood and reduce pain in previous studies. Dr. Shelly Levy-Tzedek of the BGU Department of Physical Therapy and her team investigated whether a furry social robot could induce similar effects when normal human-to-human contact is not available. Levy-Tzedek and her team discovered that a single, 60-minute interaction with PARO actually improved mood as well as reduced mild or severe pain. When participants touched PARO, they experienced greater pain reduction than when it was simply present in their room. Surprisingly, the BGU researchers discovered lower oxytocin levels in those who interacted with PARO than in the control group participants, who did not meet PARO. Typically, oxytocin, sometimes called "the love homone," is elevated among romantic partners or mothers playing with their children, so a lower level of oxytocin wasn't expected. However, more recent studies have shown that outside of close relationships, oxytocin production is a stress indicator and therefore, a reduction could indicate relaxation. "These findings offer new strategies for pain management and for improving well-being, which are particularly needed at this time, when social distancing is a crucial factor in public health," says Dr. Levy-Tzedek. This article has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. #furrysocialrobots#pandemic#PARO#pain#oxytocinlevels#socialrobot#relaxation#news#blockgeni Source link Read the full article

[miraenda]

Misa arrives! #misarobot #heymisa #socialrobot #companionrobot #robots #robotsofinstagram (at Old Sixth Ward, Houston) https://www.instagram.com/p/CJUDBsrLKJc/?igshid=4cf7tmllftdf