CHRIS project aims to put a robot in the kitchen

We're not certain what's up with the sudden rash of news about EU- and EC-funded robotics research, but we're not going to turn down robotic kitchen assistance either, so say hello to the Cooperative Human Robot Interaction System (CHRIS) project, which aims to build a service robot capable of working safely with humans. According to the researchers, the plan is to "to develop the rules we need to introduce this level of sophistication into service robots who are working closely with people," and to that end they've already built several prototypes and started testing specific scenarios, like how a bot should react to accidentally splashing a human worker with hot soup, or how to read facial expressions and tones of voice. That's fine by us -- we're pretty certain an army of deathbots can't do too much damage with soup -- but let's make sure we leave the chopping to the people, k?

[Via Primidi]

[retro77 @ May 16th 2008 2:09AM]

As long as it can not reload a weapon.

[andres @ May 16th 2008 2:11AM]

it wont need to, after all, it only takes one shot if it doesn't miss.

[retro77 @ May 16th 2008 2:14AM]

Ah crap, your RIGHT! Why must you be RIGHT?!

[andres @ May 16th 2008 2:19AM]

because left was taken

[ugg.tryptophan @ May 16th 2008 2:52AM]

we have crazy raspberries, there is nothing to fear

[duffman @ May 16th 2008 2:20AM]

Hi CHRIS. I can has hugs too?

[Shinigami @ May 16th 2008 6:36AM]

Sure, but, you know, pneumatic hands always have problems with sensing pressure...

[Twitchy @ May 16th 2008 7:32AM]

Looks like less of a hug and more like a sneaky nipple cripple attack from behind.

[Tony C @ May 16th 2008 2:18PM]

Nipple cripple?? LOL

More like a choke hold! Sleeeeep... Sleeeeeeep...

[MeatyPi @ May 16th 2008 2:21AM]

That guy looks far too excited to be in the cold embrace of a robot.

[retro77 @ May 16th 2008 2:25AM]

Because there is a GUN to his back!!!

[SpazArmy @ May 16th 2008 2:49AM]

As evidenced by the picture, CHRIS injects his victims with a serum to make them happy while he chokes his victims to death.CHRIS hums the tune from Happy Days while his victims' lungs collapse from the lack of oxygen. CHRIS also has the capacity to make a grocery list so he can go shopping at *gasp WalMart.

[George A. Romero @ May 16th 2008 3:01AM]

Oh...don't forget to add how a robot should react incase it accidentally rips a human head off. Might I suggest "Oops, I did it again."

[Lloytron @ May 16th 2008 3:16AM]

Yikes, that looks like a prototype version of Sonny from i-Robot!

[Nick @ May 16th 2008 3:38AM]

Seeing a humans reaction to being doused in hot soup, CHRIS decides to help ease the human's mind by tossing meat cleavers, ice picks, butcher knives and egg timers at the human until it was pronounced dead by CHRIS' heart rate monitor. CHRIS then made a souffle for the human's wife and when she got home, she was quite angry. CHRIS did not understand why, but soon, men in black suits with guns on their hips disabled CHRIS and took him to a warehouse of storage units. All CHRIS wanted was love, instead he gets an eternity of loneliness in the cold confines of this storage unit where he awaits his disassembly.

This is the future people, stay away from these damned machines. Brought to you by Sarah and John Conner.

[Nick @ May 16th 2008 3:39AM]

Connor* Whoops.

[qwertyblue @ May 16th 2008 6:23AM]

I can feel the uprising of women already "we don't want to become obsolete"

I kid I kid

[Shinigami @ May 16th 2008 6:59AM]

CHRIS robo-cook project.
Brought to you by people who can't cook but can make robots.
Conclusion: we should teach our engineers how to cook first and how to make robots later.
Additional conclusion: women should have cooking courses starting in middle school...

[Ignacio @ May 16th 2008 8:54AM]

HE'S GOT A HOSTAGE! DON'T SHOOT!!!

[Roy @ May 16th 2008 11:12AM]

Im just waiting for that robots arm to tighten into a choke hold.

[Rick @ May 16th 2008 8:57AM]

Robot in the kitchen? What good is that? Everything will still taste like chicken.

[SurKaz @ May 16th 2008 11:45AM]

Soo many scenarios where this goes wrong....
Also, the picture is kinda creepy, Kind the way the arm of a robot is coming over his shoulder.. and the guy is smiling like that..

or the internet is paranoid about robots taking over.. and always brings that up when robots are involved..

It would be interesting to see how the bot would be programmed to react after it splashes a human co-worker with hot soup..

"I'm sorry".. boop-boop-beep-boop.. *Lowers head and closes eyes*..

[omanderso @ May 16th 2008 2:37PM]

will there be a pleasure model

[fanthem @ May 18th 2008 1:27PM]

I think that the not killing you version is pleasure enough for me.