Heart Robot loves to be hugged, express emotions

Here's your afternoon dose of cuteness, ready or not. David McGoran's Heart Robot has made its way into London's Science Museum, and for good reason. This intelligent robot not only possesses a face with moving eyes and an external heart that blinks depending on what's happening, but it actually encourages people to hug and cuddle it like a real human. Seen as being "among the first robots to signify a new era of emotional machines used for medical treatment and enjoyment," this creature could one day become a mainstay in nursing homes where the elderly could interact with it and hopefully benefit in some metaphysical manner. Check out the read link for a video oozing with adorableness.

[Via TimesOnline]

[Giroro @ Jul 30th 2008 2:07PM]

CREEPY!

[OneLove @ Jul 30th 2008 2:17PM]

um...yeah.

[HAI 2 U @ Jul 30th 2008 2:31PM]

I pulled this up just as my boss was walking by ... thank you Engadget, for scaring the shit out of both of us.

[phanbouy @ Jul 30th 2008 2:36PM]

you've got a cool boss; me i'm still relying on dear old Alt-Tab

[Lowest Ranked @ Jul 30th 2008 2:41PM]

Keep your company's e-mail open in one tab and Engadget in the other tab. When he comes by just hit CTRL+Enter and they won't have a clue.

[you @ Jul 30th 2008 10:08PM]

hey, is me or is that robot grabbing its crotch?

[Josh @ Jul 31st 2008 11:33AM]

LIREC (Living with Robots and Interactive Companions) is an European Union project that, according to this article http://www.internetevolution.com/author.asp?section_id=526&doc_id=155718&f_src=flffour , had announced the development of emotional bonding for robots and for them to have different personalities (and act differently based on that). Check out the article, it's truly amazing things.

[quomen @ Jul 30th 2008 2:08PM]

That's convenient, because I hate to be hugged and I have no emotions.

[xcrunk @ Jul 30th 2008 2:08PM]

"I hate my yellow teeth!"

[Frun @ Jul 30th 2008 2:15PM]

Well stop drinking that crunk juice then. Then get FF with ABP

[andres @ Jul 30th 2008 3:07PM]

IT Skills and Solutions

[kal326 @ Jul 30th 2008 2:19PM]

I wonder if being pressed between a concrete slab and a shovel repeatedly counts as hugging? If so count me in.

[jIzzle @ Jul 30th 2008 2:23PM]

yeah, super creepy, it looks like a leper/mummy/burn victim, no offense to those that are lepers, mummys, or burn victims.

[maty @ Jul 30th 2008 2:23PM]

I for one welcome our cute, adorable overlords.

[Lowest Ranked @ Jul 30th 2008 2:42PM]

Are we seeing the same picture maty?

[Shane @ Jul 30th 2008 2:24PM]

Cute yet somewhat creepy at the same time...

Let the robot uprising begin...

[blackfeather @ Jul 30th 2008 2:25PM]

I half expected that spider-bot to lunge at the sock-monkey-bot and stab it through its heartlight...

[blackfeather @ Jul 30th 2008 2:26PM]

...or at least that's what I would have done.

[GhettoBanjo @ Jul 30th 2008 2:25PM]

Does it...uhhhh...have a hole?

[OneLove @ Jul 30th 2008 5:30PM]

do you?

[PGP-Protector @ Jul 30th 2008 2:26PM]

First look at that image I was thinking what the heck did they find.

Now I find that it was designed to look like that ???

[Knives_Out @ Jul 30th 2008 2:29PM]

WHAT IS THIS THING YOU HUMANS CALL .... LOVE?

[phanbouy @ Jul 30th 2008 2:30PM]

someone's been raiding Tim Burton's closet again

[neofolklore @ Jul 31st 2008 8:27AM]

haha thats what i thought, then i found someone else intentionally designed it like that

i thought the picture was one of engadgets trying to be funny things.

[monterey86 @ Jul 30th 2008 2:38PM]

Why do robot makers see the elderly as their big demographic? Do they think old people want robots for companions or caretakers? I don't think so.

[Zadillo @ Jul 30th 2008 3:19PM]

No, but they think/know that the elderly's children want to give robots to the elderly to serve as companions so they don't have to spend so much time with them.

[MadMike @ Jul 30th 2008 2:39PM]

That's disturbing.... Just gives me the heeby jeebies.

[phanbouy @ Jul 30th 2008 3:53PM]

heeby jeebies? who are you, Louis Fucking Armstrong?

[Schnapple @ Jul 30th 2008 2:43PM]

Does this thing remind anyone else of the hand-animated Tool videos from Undertow? Yeah - having this thing in real life would give me nightmares.

[CaptSaltyJack @ Jul 30th 2008 2:44PM]

It's just so damn cute and cuddly. Makes me want to have it exorcised or burned at the stake.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1427/714265847_4b85d2784c.jpg?v=0

[Mic2000 @ Jul 30th 2008 2:46PM]

That spider robot is so cool :D, I want to see more of that in action, I would love to buy one too!

[Gavin Veasey @ Jul 30th 2008 2:48PM]

Great, all we need now is a complaining robot..

[John H. @ Jul 30th 2008 2:51PM]

Perfect, and I just stopped having those nightmares.

[Kizorblade @ Jul 30th 2008 2:52PM]

I'd rather hug my printer than that. It looks bloody creepy!

[Jon Acheson @ Jul 30th 2008 3:03PM]

That thing looks like Jason Voorhees.

[Vammo @ Jul 30th 2008 3:11PM]

Its cheaper to make the real thing and then only visit on Father's day.

[jollyllama @ Jul 30th 2008 3:13PM]

Not cool. If we think they can feel, it will make it harder to kill them when the time comes.

[Alex1984 @ Jul 30th 2008 3:25PM]

One word: TERMINATOR

[ethan @ Jul 30th 2008 3:30PM]

now only if they could make one that doesn't look like the kids from the film "Pink Floyd: The Wall"

http://rugbyfootball.com/temp/pink.jpg

http://www.thewallanalysis.com/Pictures/MovieShots/FullSizeShots/Brick2-6.JPG

Truly gross.

Ethan

[lou @ Jul 30th 2008 4:18PM]

No disassemble. Johnny 5 alive!

[cdm014 @ Jul 30th 2008 4:58PM]

"No disassemble..." that just made my day

[lou @ Jul 30th 2008 5:54PM]

Uh oh, you shouldn't have encouraged me. Remember the main song of the movie; Who's Johnny? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jaWPQ3Z7FE

[joe blow @ Jul 30th 2008 4:38PM]

Does it have eyeballs in its palms? Looks like the pale man from Pan's Labyrinth.

[JONES @ Jul 30th 2008 5:01PM]

With progress like this what future do you think we're heading towards more. Companion robots like in iRobot & A.I. or Cyberdyne Systems (Terminator) & the Matrix? hmmm

[Vander @ Jul 30th 2008 5:04PM]

mmmm mmmm...Is this the Emo version??

[fanthem @ Jul 30th 2008 5:16PM]

Introducing the new King Tut Teletubbie.

[Ian @ Jul 30th 2008 5:45PM]

Who the hell would WANT to hug that thing? It looks like the lame off-spring of a Glo-Worm doll from the 80s and ET.

[skooldays @ Jul 30th 2008 6:58PM]

saw this at the museum in London

http://www.webxact.co.uk/2008/07/robots-do-have-emotions-you-know.html

[skooldays @ Jul 30th 2008 7:00PM]

Yep i saw this "Heart Robot" as it was recently at London's Science Museum.

http://www.webxact.co.uk/2008/07/robots-do-have-emotions-you-know.html

[ShadowKain @ Jul 30th 2008 8:18PM]

That thing scares me