The ever-helpful robots.net provides us with a follow-up in the Cybernetic Childcare Department.
As another example under the general aegis of robots helping people, the Machine Perception Laboratory at the University of California, San Diego, has developed a nursery teacher bot. Researchers will evaluate how toddlers respond to their three foot tall, soft, warm and pleasantly plump creation, which is a Sony QRIO robot using Bayesian inference.
The robot’s name is Rubi, short for Robot Using Bayesian Inference. This project is part of a long-term research study at UCSD to investigate the uses of interactive computers in educational environments.
The researchers claim that the children like interacting with the robot because it generates expressions that resemble “human emotion”. Roland Piquepaille has them singing with Barney Rubi and gives some insight into usability.
The lead developer’s two-year-old child “refused to interact with the early versions of RUBI and proved to be a great critic for the design team.”) “If Rubi didn’t have the capacity for facial expressions, much of the interaction would be lost,” said Javier Movellan, of the Machine Perception Lab. “It would be kind of a sterile interaction as opposed to a personal interaction.”
As with other service robots, Rubi can track movements and respond to questions. Rubi can learn the children’s names and, since it not only is capable of tracking heads but also detecting faces, Rubi can greet the children by name. The personal interaction ability of this robot is such that it even is able to interpret basic expressions.
As automated mentors go, Rubi is stationary; researchers are developing a model that will move around the nursery, although probably not in the manner that I suggested for a playground patrol droid. Nonetheless, it probably could be programmed for guard duty.
So, perhaps, referring to Rubi as a monkey clutching surrogate is unkind. (Gort is the robotic image from the Cybernetic Childcare post.) As reported in a CNET article, Movellan said in a statement, “Genuine interaction will have to go far beyond computing capacity or a sterile cognition. It will have to be about forming relationships.” With droids. In the formative years.
There has got to be a science fiction story in this somewhere. And, too, Rubi could have a cousin, Gitmo, the interrogative model.
A police interrogation room in the not too distant future:
Detective John Kimble: “Alright, Tommy, vee haft been vatching you since you got in trouble at Miss Ruby’s Nursery,” (the voice changes), “so don’t think for one moment, young man, that you can lie to me.“
Tommy: That’s s..s..scary, thought Tommy. It looks like Suss…Suss..Schwarzenegger, but sounds just like Her.
Interrogator: (now using the voice of the Terminator): “Dat’s right, Tommy, you can trust me. I haft all of her Bayesian algorithms.”
Tommy (slumps in chair): “And, just like her and all the others you will never get tired.”
Interrogator (switches to a soothing, Good Cop voice): “Dat’s right, Tommy. No need to subvocalize, just sit back… relax… tell me everything that comes into your mind… you do want to tell me the truth now.”
