Characteristics Of Robot Research Articles

Optimus Primed: Media Cultivation of Robot Mental Models and Social Judgments.

Media influence people's perceptions of reality broadly and of technology in particular. Robot villains and heroes—from Ultron to Wall-E—have been shown to serve a specific cultivation function, shaping people's perceptions of those embodied social technologies, especially when individuals do not have direct experience with them. To date, however, little is understood about the nature of the conceptions people hold for what robots are, how they work, and how they may function in society, as well as the media antecedents and relational effects of those cognitive structures. This study takes a step toward bridging that gap by exploring relationships among individuals' recall of robot characters from popular media, their mental models for actual robots, and social evaluations of an actual robot. Findings indicate that mental models consist of a small set of common and tightly linked components (beyond which there is a good deal of individual difference), but robot character recall and evaluation have little association with whether people hold any of those components. Instead, data are interpreted to suggest that cumulative sympathetic evaluations of robot media characters may form heuristics that are primed by and engaged in social evaluations of actual robots, while technical content in mental models is associated with a more utilitarian approach to actual robots.

Popular Culture’s AI Fantasies: Killers and Exploiters or Assistants and Companions?

Abstract This article examines popular culture’s depictions of Artificial Intelligence. It begins with Hollywood’s sci-fi robot characters that were often depicted as dangerous and inimical to human existence. It identifies major Hollywood movies that depict artificial intelligence, starting with Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), James Cameron’s The Terminator (1984), Steven Spielberg’s Minority Report (2002), Garth Jennings’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (2005), Spike Jonze’s Her (2014), Alex Garland’s Ex Machina (2014), and Toby Hanes’ Brexit (2019). These films illustrate artificial intelligence issues, including self-aware computers, facial recognition, crime prevention, and personal assistants. These technologies are depicted both positively and negatively in popular culture, and their depictions in these films reveals popular culture’s pervasive stereotypes and occasional timely warnings about emerging technology.

Young Children's Indiscriminate Helping Behavior Toward a Humanoid Robot.

Young children help others in a range of situations, relatively indiscriminate of the characteristics of those they help. Recent results have suggested that young children’s helping behavior extends even to humanoid robots. However, it has been unclear how characteristics of robots would influence children’s helping behavior. Considering previous findings suggesting that certain robot features influence adults’ perception of and their behavior toward robots, the question arises of whether young children’s behavior and perception would follow the same principles. The current study investigated whether two key characteristics of a humanoid robot (animate autonomy and friendly expressiveness) would affect children’s instrumental helping behavior and their perception of the robot as an animate being. Eighty-two 3-year-old children participated in one of four experimental conditions manipulating a robot’s ostensible animate autonomy (high/low) and friendly expressiveness (friendly/neutral). Helping was assessed in an out-of-reach task and animacy ratings were assessed in a post-test interview. Results suggested that both children’s helping behavior, as well as their perception of the robot as animate, were unaffected by the robot’s characteristics. The findings indicate that young children’s helping behavior extends largely indiscriminately across two important characteristics. These results increase our understanding of the development of children’s altruistic behavior and animate-inanimate distinctions. Our findings also raise important ethical questions for the field of child-robot interaction.

Communication with Self-Growing Character to Develop Physically Growing Robot Toy Agent

Robots for communication are developed extensively with an emphasis on sympathy. This study deals with the growth of character and the control of its operation. The child has time to be alone with the nature of his/her robot friend. That child can interact with other people’s emotional expressions through a robot. Step by step, the robot character will grow as the child grows. Through design studies, qualitative processes such as customer experience audit, eye tracking, mental model diagrams, and semantic differences have been executed for the results. The participatory behavior research approach through user travel is mapped from the user’s lead to the evidence-based design. This research considers how synthetic characteristics can be applied to the physical growth of robot toys through the product design process. With the development of robot toy “Buddy”, two variations on the robot were made to achieve recognizable growth. (1) one-dimensional height scaling and (2) facial expression including the distance between two eyes on the screen. Observations represented children’s reactions when "Buddy" was released with the children. As an independent synthetic character, the robot was recognized by children who had the designed function. Robots for training may require more experimentation.

Education biases perception of social robots

IntroductionRecent research on human–robot interactions (HRI) emphasizes a role of user's attitudes in perceiving robot's with different robot embodiments of varying levels of human likenesses. However, other human factors such as educational background may also help understanding of what conditions contribute to enhance social perception of robot's features. ObjectivesThis study aimed to determine how people's attitudes towards and familiarization with robots influence social perception of particular features of robots. MethodFirst, we measured attitudes towards robots among undergraduate students with diverse educational background (engineering vs. psychology). Then, participants were presented with short movies showing the behaviour of three robots with different levels of sociability. Finally, participants evaluated the characteristics of these robots on a scale. ResultsPeople more familiar with social robots and with more positive attitudes towards them evaluate robots with human traits more highly. ConclusionHuman perception of social robots resembles social phenomena related to human perception of other people.

The Prosthetic Impulse Revisited in <em>A.I. Artificial Intelligence</em>

The Prosthetic Impulse Revisited in <em>A.I. Artificial Intelligence</em>

Vibration-minimizing motion retargeting for robotic characters

Creating animations for robotic characters is very challenging due to the constraints imposed by their physical nature. In particular, the combination of fast motions and unavoidable structural deformations leads to mechanical oscillations that negatively affect their performances. Our goal is to automatically transfer motions created using traditional animation software to robotic characters while avoiding such artifacts. To this end, we develop an optimization-based, dynamics-aware motion retargeting system that adjusts an input motion such that visually salient low-frequency, large amplitude vibrations are suppressed. The technical core of our animation system consists of a differentiable dynamics simulator that provides constraint-based two-way coupling between rigid and flexible components. We demonstrate the efficacy of our method through experiments performed on a total of five robotic characters including a child-sized animatronic figure that features highly dynamic drumming and boxing motions.

Analysis of User’s Eye Gaze Distribution while Interacting with a Robotic Character

Analysis of User’s Eye Gaze Distribution while Interacting with a Robotic Character

Let’s Code: A Kid-friendly Interactive Application Designed to Teach Arabic-speaking Children Text-based Programming

Programming is the cornerstone for the development of all of the technologies we encounter in our daily lives. It also plays an important role in enhancing creativity, problem-solving, and logical thinking. Due to the importance of programming in combination with the shortage of Arabic content that aims to teach children programming, we decided to develop Let’s Code, an interactive mobile-based application designed for Arabic-speaking children from 8 to 12 years old. The application focuses on the basics of programming such as data types, variables, and control structures using the Python programming language through a simple, attractive, and age-appropriate design. The application presents its users with an interesting storyline that involves a trip to space with “Labeeb”, a robot character designed to explain programming concepts to the child throughout the trip. Each planet represents a level in the application and introduces a programming concept through a set of lessons and exercises. The application can be used by educational institutions and parents to teach programming and will provide an opportunity through which Arabic-speaking children can keep up with the development and dissemination of technology.

RESEARCH ON RIGID BODY INVERSE DYNAMICS OF A NOVEL 6-PRRS PARALLEL ROBOT

A systematic methodology for solving the inverse dynamics of a 6-PRRS parallel robot is presented. Based on the principle of virtual work and the Lagrange approach, a methodology for deriving the dynamical equations of motion is developed. To resolve the inconsistency between complications of established dynamic model and real-time control, a simplifying strategy of the dynamic model is presented. The dynamic character of the 6-PRRS parallel robot is analyzed by example calculation, and a full and precise dynamic model using simulation software is established. Verification results show the validity of the presented algorithm, and the simplifying strategies are practical and efficient.

“I Choose... YOU!” Membership preferences in human–robot teams

Although groups of robots are expected to interact with groups of humans in the near future, research related to teams of humans and robots is still scarce. This paper contributes to the study of human–robot teams by describing the development of two autonomous robotic partners and by investigating how humans choose robots to partner with in a multi-party game context. Our work concerns the successful development of two autonomous robots that are able to interact with a group of two humans in the execution of a task for social and entertainment purposes. The creation of these two characters was motivated by psychological research on learning goal theory, according to which we interpret and approach a given task differently depending on our learning goal. Thus, we developed two robotic characters implemented in two robots: Emys (a competitive robot, based on characteristics related to performance-orientation goals) and Glin (a relationship-driven robot, based on characteristics related to learning-orientation goals). In our study, a group of four (two humans and two autonomous robots) engaged in a card game for social and entertainment purposes. Our study yields several important conclusions regarding groups of humans and robots. (1) When a partner is chosen without previous partnering experience, people tend to prefer robots with relationship-driven characteristics as their partners compared with competitive robots. (2) After some partnering experience has been gained, the choice becomes less clear, and additional driving factors emerge as follows: (2a) participants with higher levels of competitiveness (personal characteristics) tend to prefer Emys, whereas those with lower levels prefer Glin, and (2b) the choice of which robot to partner with also depends on team performance, with the winning team being the preferred choice.

Whose Real? Encountering New Frontiers in Westworld

This article explores the themes of psychoanalysis and Lacanian theory discernible in the HBO version of Westworld (HBO 2016- ). This article argues that it is productive to examine the series through a psychoanalytic lens, especially through Jacques Lacan’s concept of the Real. In an examination of Season One of the series, we argue that this new show – given its focus on psychological landscapes and trauma – requires a deeper textual analysis to uncover similar Lacanian themes. These are themes signposted by the quite literal depictions of therapy sessions shown throughout the season. At the heart of the show lies a double irony about the human and non-human characters in the show. Westworld’s robotic characters are gripped by the complexity of their memories: memories pre-programmed, easily adjusted and changed by the scientists running the park. Then, we see the actual human figures of the show in hot pursuit of violent sexual desires, thoughtlessly enacting free plays of desire without consequence and the conscientious interruption of the superego or the ‘Law’. To explain this, we firstly provide an introduction to the contextual origins of the three psychoanalytic orders (or triad) developed in Lacan’s writings, particularly looking at Seminar II of 1954-1955. Using this framework, we then focus on a textual analysis of four key characters in the series, and how each negotiates journeys through these conceptual/spatial zones that delineate some ‘encounter with the Real’. Finally, we argue that the text’s complex narrative devices become allegorical for the viewer him- or herself as a lost figure in search of answers, allowing a meta-analysis of key themes of the show.

Narratives with Robots: The Impact of Interaction Context and Individual Differences on Story Recall and Emotional Understanding

Role-play scenarios have been considered a successful learning space for children to develop their social and emotional abilities. In this paper, we investigate whether socially assistive robots in role-playing settings are as effective with small groups of children as they are with a single child, and whether individual factors such as gender, grade level (first vs. second), perception of the robots (peer vs. adult), and empathy level (low vs. high) play a role in these two interaction contexts. We conducted a three-week repeated exposure experiment where 40 children interacted with socially assistive robotic characters that acted out interactive stories around words that contribute to expanding children's emotional vocabulary. Our results showed that although participants who interacted alone with the robots recalled the stories better than participants in the group condition, no significant differences were found in children's emotional interpretation of the narratives. With regard to individual differences, we found that a single child setting appeared more appropriate to first graders than a group setting, empathy level is an important predictor for emotional understanding of the narratives, and children's performance varies depending on their perception of the robots (peer vs. adult) in the two conditions.

모듈형 컨베이어 랙 기반 물류 이송 로봇의 설계 및 물류 센터 내 경로계획

In this paper, a design method for a logistics transportation robot based on a modular conveyor rack and path planning considering the environment of a logistics center is proposed. The driving part of the logistics transportation robot is designed and the working method of lifter for the transportation function is explained. The design of the modular conveyor rack is also described and an algorithm for a logistics transportation robot using a modular conveyor rack is suggested. The <TEX>$A^*$</TEX> algorithm is improved by using the concept of rotation cost and the initial state of the transportation robot's characteristics. We experimented with a four-step transportation algorithm for a logistics transportation robot using a modular conveyor rack and showed that the proposed method can be used successfully in a logistics center. In addition, we verified the effectiveness of the improved <TEX>$A^*$</TEX> algorithm considering the rotation cost and the initial state of the robot.

Am I Have to Extrovert Personality? An Empirical Investigation of Robot’s Personality on the Two Contexts

This study investigates Human Robot Interaction in museum situation. Unlike robots in movies, robots in real life don't have ‘personality’ where as it has specific purpose and function. This research is mainly about ‘how’ we can give specific and appropriate personalities to the robots in a different context. We will discuss how we can endow definite personality in this research. There are former researches about personality of a robot based on task context. However, a discussion of the robot's personality along with a place in the 'personality ' was incomplete. So, we have also assumed that the robot's character be dependent on the characteristics of the place. We planned a 2x2 between-group experiment and these were each of their conditions. Based on 32 strategic experiential modules and Attitude, the experiential factors were derived for each set of conditions. To achieve the objectives of the research, theoretical research and empirical research were conducted at the same time. Based on the research, JMP 9 was used to verify the research model and hypotheses.

Making Humanoid Robots More Acceptable Based on the Study of Robot Characters in Animation

In this paper we take an approach in Humanoid Robots are not considered as robots who resembles human beings in a realistic way of appearance and act but as robots who act and react like human that make them more believable by people. Regarding this approach we will study robot characters in animation movies and discuss what makes some of them to be accepted just like a moving body and what makes some other robot characters to be believable as a living human. The goal of this paper is to create a rule set that describes friendly, socially acceptable, kind, cute... robots and in this study we will review example robots in popular animated movies. The extracted rules and features can be used for making real robots more acceptable.

2P1-W04 動作解析に基づく人-ロボットの機能の対応付けによる生産ライン設計支援手法の一提案

2P1-W04 動作解析に基づく人-ロボットの機能の対応付けによる生産ライン設計支援手法の一提案

Virtual Reality Application for Simulation and Off-line Programming of the Mitsubishi Movemaster RV-M1 Robot Integrated with the Oculus Rift to Improve Students Training

The overall purpose of this project is to test the impact and potential benefits of Virtual Reality technology by improving the current training methods for the operation of the Mitsubishi Movemaster RV-M1 Robot. The final application aims to achieve this goal by increasing the user's interactivity with the robot's features inside a virtual environment developed using the game engine Unity and the Oculus Rift headset for the virtual visualization. By using this application, on site operation time is decreased mainly by allowing off-line programming of the equipment. It also allows universities without or with limited industrial machinery to provide their students a way to learn and practice on industrial automation and robotics simulation topics without inconvenience. The application is designed to decrease the student's learning curve by displaying a complete virtual environment where the tridimensional model of the robotic arm can be visualized and programmed according to the real model's parameters and specifications. Joint type moving sequences are compiled into a file which afterwards can be transferred to the robot for real testing and execution. The system integrates a set of joysticks that allows the user to program each of the robot's joints as well as display several features of it in the virtual environment such as animations, images and text information that simplify the instructions shown in a printed manual. In order to find an optimized, collision-free movement sequence between two points an A* shortest path algorithm is implemented using some of the built-in tools and plugins available in Unity and its Asset store. As a result of this last feature, the application can create a comparison between the user's input sequence and a computer generated sequence based on the A* algorithm.

Mobile Robot Powered by Solar Cells

Generally, robots are a class of technical systems which imitate or substitute driver or human intellectual functions. This is achieved by the combination of various types of handling equipment or locomotors system, causing the anthropomorphic robot character, the different types of computer equipment, or logical, which determines the intellectual functions thereof. The robots operate in a specific environment, the characteristics of which may remain constant or variable over time. While battery technology is of great interest for mobile robots, but it is not reliable in the time, there are several strategies for the storage of energy (fuel cells and the micro-fuel cell), as well as strategies for harvesting energy from the environment in various ways and energy management using sophisticated control techniques to improve power supply costs. One of these strategies is to use solar energy to power mobile robots. The solar cells appearance is due to the need to supply power spacecraft since not require maintenance for a period of time.

Gibberish speech as a tool for the study of affective expressiveness for robotic agents

Recent technological advancements bring virtual agents, avatars, and social robotic characters into our daily lives. These characters must acquire the ability to express (simulated) emotions vocally and gesturally. In the vocal channel, Natural Language Interaction technologies today have some limitations when used in real-world natural environments and the models of expressivity of text to speech synthesis engines are not yet mature enough. To address these limitations, an alternative form of vocal communication - gibberish speech - is introduced in this paper. Gibberish speech consists of vocalizations of meaningless strings of speech sounds, and thus has no semantic meaning. It is occasionally used by performing artists or for cartoon animations and games to express intended emotions (e.g. Teletubbies and The Sims). In this paper, our approach for constructing expressive gibberish speech is described and the experimental evaluations with its intended robotic agents are reported. It is shown that the generated gibberish speech can contribute to a significant extent to studies concerning emotion expression for robotic agents and can be further utilized in affective human-robot interaction studies.