Watch Asimo the robot walk!

metatron

see:

www.world.honda.com/HDTV/ASIMO/200412-detour/index.html

I can't find the video of him dancing but it really sends chills up your spine!

them 'puny humans' are doin' miracles, these days!

metatron

LDH

Met,

While a fascinating subject, a robot 'pretending' to be a human does not a human make. What's wrong with a robot shaped like, say, a ROBOT?

I don't get the point--of mimicking humans?

Elsewhere

I don't get the point--of mimicking humans?

Humans are more likely to accept a device that looks like a human.

AlmostAtheist

>>Humans are more likely to accept a device that looks like a human.

And since we've built our world around humans, a robot that can move like a human will have more success moving around in it. A box on wheels ala R2-D2 would have trouble climbing steps, reaching shelves, etc.

And it's terribly cool! :-)

Dave

skyman

really something amazing.

Simon

Have a look at Sony's QRIO - I think that is even more impressive (it can run)

nicolaou

Humans are more likely to accept a device that looks like a human.

Hmmm, I wonder if the exact opposite might not be true?

rwagoner

A dancing robot is great and all...but this is actually useful....A whellchair that balances on two wheels to bring the user to standing position and it even climbs stairs....thats me in the pics.

LDH

I don't disagree that the technology is cool. But this to me is like a lesbian dressing butch to attract other lesbians. For what? If you're a lesbian---aren't you attracted to WOMEN and not men???

This has always been confusing to me, and I guess the 'humanized robots' are just another example.

Hell, big deal it can avoid obstacles. So can a dinky little 'Roomba' vacuum.

oh well, just not a big fan of this stuff I guess. But it is cool as hell.

seattleniceguy

I think the idea is that to function efficiently at performing human tasks in a human world, it's best to be shaped like a human.
>> >> Humans are more likely to accept a device that looks like a human.
>> Hmmm, I wonder if the exact opposite might not be true?
I read an article about this recently (sorry about being to lazy to find the link), and it was discovered that as robots look more and more like humans, humans feel more and more affinity for them. However, there is a crucial cut-off point where, if they look extremely similar to humans but aren't quite right, we find them unnerving. So the continuum kind of goes like this:
Less like a human ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... More like a human
Cute --- Cuter --- Cutie-pie --- What a darling little cutie! --- Scary beyond all reason
Sony's QRIO is definitely at the "cute" stage. Honda's little guy feels less cute, because the form factor is less similar to a human.
Another thing that I think accepts acceptance is size. Honda's Asimo is probably about as large as human-interacting robots can get before beginning to evoke fear. Imagine actually having an C3PO-sized robot in your house. That would just be kind of freaky. We need to be able to feel that we are in control and even if the robot tweaks out, nothing crazy will happen.
SNG

Watch Asimo the robot walk!

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