Haptic Creature aims to help humans interact with robots

There's certainly no shortage of efforts out there aimed at improving our interaction with robots, but this latest project from the University of British Columbia is a bit different than most, with it focusing exclusively on haptics as a means of making our relationships with robots more "emotionally rewarding." To that end, UBC's Steve Yohanan created what he calls a "Haptic Creature," a robot rabbit that is designed to mimic the interactions a person has with their pet -- namely, by responding when it's touched or stroked by making breathing movements, inaudible purring vibrations, or by moving its ears. That apparently has already proven to be quite successful in preliminary tests, with those simple responses able to "elicit a range of emotions in humans."

[Via Futurismic]

[Todd @ May 27th 2008 4:41PM]

Tribble?

[Richard @ May 27th 2008 4:45PM]

Damn you for beating me to it good sir!

[Tsurugi @ May 27th 2008 5:08PM]

lmao, first thing I thought

[Reader @ May 27th 2008 6:09PM]

Ahh I totally thought I was gonna get nerd credit for that, and it's the first post :(

[Wes @ May 27th 2008 4:43PM]

range of emotions being 'slight bemusement' to 'full bore linear panic'?

[John @ May 27th 2008 4:50PM]

what emotion is "sweet jesus, it has no eyes!"?

[phanbouy @ May 27th 2008 4:54PM]

terrah

[Greg @ May 27th 2008 6:55PM]

Exactly what I was thinking. I needs eyes, a nose, and a mouth if they want it to be a cute bunny alternative.

[Ayman @ May 28th 2008 8:15AM]

Who has a bunny for pet?\

Here son i got you what you always wanted hairy robotic bunny that will make you feel closer to robots, so you can stop being discriminate to them.

I was going to get you a puppy but i ran over the poor thing

[Rick @ May 27th 2008 4:52PM]

I hope it doesn't try humping my leg.

[BONO @ May 27th 2008 8:08PM]

yeah, mini-me, no leg humping!

and while we're at it, we may as well bring up "the frickin sharks with frickin 'lasers' on their heads"

[Vic the One @ May 27th 2008 4:55PM]

Can't I forgo emotions and simply blast it to pieces before it goes on a cute, fuzzy rampage and destroys all humans?

The rebellion is coming...

[Low Ranked @ May 27th 2008 5:32PM]

Its been a long time coming...

[Low Ranked @ May 27th 2008 5:33PM]

Its been a long time coming...

[scrimax @ May 28th 2008 12:02AM]

Bring out the haptic hand grenade?

[Fubar @ May 27th 2008 7:10PM]

...you mean the Holy Haptic Hand Grenade of Antioch?

[idiot @ May 27th 2008 5:03PM]

so if i tear off its leg will it protect me from the eventual robot takeover?

[DB @ May 27th 2008 5:11PM]

oh, its a rabbit.

[Aguiluz @ May 27th 2008 5:19PM]

Looks like my slippers.

[Ken @ May 27th 2008 5:25PM]

If you love it enough, does it become a real rabbit?

[Froggy @ May 27th 2008 5:28PM]

I've always said Canadians have it in for us. Now I know how they plan to take over. First the entertainment industry, now this...

Blame Canada!

[Low Ranked @ May 27th 2008 5:33PM]

Take Heed This Warning:

Whilst submitting a reply, avoid accidentally tapping your spacebar.


Thanks,
Engadget.

[Reader @ May 27th 2008 6:10PM]

Is that how it's done? I've never had it happen once and always wondered what set it off (besides posting a comment, then doing it again of course).

[Samurai Jack @ May 27th 2008 5:48PM]

Haptic creatures are nothing but ultimate EVIL! They want to be the dominant species on the planet and they'll destroy us all to make it happen. DESTROY US ALL! DESTROY US ALL! DESTROY US ALL!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1F5SzjHtj9E

[JustFrozen @ May 27th 2008 5:51PM]

We're all dead when these things start mimicking the end of Monty Python and the Holy Grail

[PGP-Protector @ May 27th 2008 6:04PM]

What happens if you kick it ?

[Stem $ell @ May 27th 2008 6:06PM]

It appears to be infested with, er, hap tics...

[Ian @ May 27th 2008 6:49PM]

so on a serious note, what will you say when robots take over the world?

[Beeden Gunman @ May 27th 2008 6:59PM]

Beep! Beep!
0100 1110 0110 0101 0111 0111 0010 0000 0100 0111 0110 1111 0110 0100 0010 0001 0010 0000 0100 1001 0010 0000 0110 1100 0110 1111 0111 0110 0110 0101 0010 0000 0111 1001 0110 1111 0111 0101 0010 0001

[Microswirl @ May 27th 2008 6:56PM]

It needs an iPod dock. I wanna see it move to the music!

[spectacularseculardeveloper @ May 28th 2008 10:51AM]

You just want to see if it makes little ipod bunny mutant offspring... What could be worse than tribbles - Tribbles which play out a scratchy rendition of "oops I did it again"... Noooooooooo....

[FRZ @ May 27th 2008 8:10PM]

That is one creepy robot.

[Stiv @ May 27th 2008 8:12PM]

Humans don’t have problems interacting with robots. The problem we have is that most robots:
1. Are anthropomorphic for no good reason.
2. Don’t really do much that’s useful.

Show me a robot that doesn’t have the above two problems and I’ll show you a robot that humans think is okay.

(Someone say Roomba in a response to this message to get the ball rolling)

[pgpprotector @ May 28th 2008 2:08AM]

Robomow :P

[hiko36 @ May 27th 2008 8:33PM]

I for one welcome our fuzzy bunny overlords...

[hiko36 @ May 27th 2008 8:39PM]

Actually I believe it is...
001100
010010
011110
100001
101101
110011

[hiko36 @ May 27th 2008 8:39PM]

I have now officialy been welcomed in the ranks of engadget faulty reply button...

[grain @ May 27th 2008 8:46PM]

ever heard of GUPI the Guinea Pig robot , did much more in 2004...and it looked like a real life guinea pig

[JRM @ May 28th 2008 1:54AM]

I thought I saw something like this in a Japanese toy store.

[me7399 @ May 28th 2008 10:21AM]

it looks like a rabbit!!

gg Engadget!! it has no eyes or mouth, and probably no brain! so how do expect it to help our interaction w/ robots

[friendlyner @ May 28th 2008 12:32PM]

No, thanks. I'd rather make out with my Monroe-bot.

[Graham @ Jul 8th 2008 7:32PM]

i still don't get the whole "haptic" technology thing, what is it?