Japanese prof thinks robots need emotional sensibilities
By Cyrus Farivar 
posted Sep 20th 2006 6:29AM
posted Sep 20th 2006 6:29AM
Aside from providing the world with great gadgets, entertainment devices and robots -- the Japanese have now answered the question that every robot enthusiast since Isaac Asimov has been trying to answer: how do we improve robot-humanoid interaction? Professor Shuji Hashimoto, director of the humanoid robotics centre at Waseda University in Tokyo, has a theory: robots need a solid dose of those Japanese manners (don't we all?) encompassed in the Japanese word kansei, which includes feelings, mood, intuitiveness and sensibility. Hashimoto spoke to a conference on "socially intelligent robots" at the University of Hertfordshire in Hatfield, UK last week, saying that "Robots are going to need similar emotional capabilities if they are to cooperate smoothly and flexibly with humans in our residential environments." How would that translate from the theoretical academic ivory tower to the living room lab of a domesticated robot? According to NewScientist, who covered Hashimoto's UK talk, "if a robot's owner is sweating and has a racing pulse, say, the robot will sense this and decide that now might not be the time to offer them the TV guide or tonight's dinner menu." Still, we're sure that Hashimoto wasn't talking smack about our new favorite polite robot, the EMIEW -- otherwise we might have to sic a legion of BEAR robots on him.[Thanks, Matt]
nice
First robot emotions, then robot mental health clinics.
The beginning of the end, gents.
Emotions....pah!
I for one welcome out emotional female robot overlords
For what it's worth, the kanji in the picture can be pronounced "kansei" but they mean "complete" rather than "mood, feeling," etc.
robots aren't 完 without 感 :)
First emotions ... now, you just KNOW there's some Japanese engineer out there thinking, "hmm, wonder what it'll look like in a school girl attire".
Put that in ones and zeros and then you're on to something.
( heavy Austrian accent )"...first, Skynet was given emotions, then later achieve self-awareness...."
Why do robots have to spell the end of the world? The future with robots could be like Futurama, where robots and humans and aliens exist peacefully...most of the time.
単一人の歓迎として自分自身私達の良識があるロボットマスター
Shit. We're done for.
That is so stupid!!!
That would mean that they can also become angry
First you get our hopes up with human like skin for the robots, then you take it away by giving them emotional sensibilities??? They might as well be real women! :( Shame on you....
A bunch of mindless jerks who'll be first up against the wall when the revolution comes.
Its like the terminator all over again.