Back in 2019, MIT graduate student Daniella DiPaola and I began to frequent our local grocery store, and not to shop for food. The store had introduced a robot that we wanted to see in action. The 1.9m-tall machine roamed the aisles, scanning the floor for spills and paging the employees to clean up hazards. But what interested us most was that, despite its large googly eyes and friendly name, Marty the robot was unpopular with customers.
As robots come into shared spaces, people tend to have strong positive or negative reactions, often taking engineers by surprise. But the key to designing automated systems may be simple: recognising that people treat robots as if they're alive.
Even though robots have been building cars in factories for a while, we've seen a more recent wave of deployments in areas where they interact with people. Whether they're doing the hoovering or delivering food, robots are increasingly entering our workplaces, homes and public spaces.
Denne historien er fra Summer 2022-utgaven av BBC Science Focus.
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Denne historien er fra Summer 2022-utgaven av BBC Science Focus.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
CHANGE THE (BODY) CLOCKS
Why the end of British Summer Time can be a wake-up call for our circadian health
ARE OCTOPUSES SENTIENT?
If you've watched the Netflix documentary My Octopus Teacher or been lucky enough to encounter an octopus in the wild, you'll know there's something special about them.
THE MEXICAN MOLE LIZARD
Imagine what would happen if an earthworm, a lizard, a snake and a mole went on a night out, had too much too much tequila and let their guard down.
Do we finally know how the Egyptian Pyramids were built?
A number of breakthrough studies are beginning to paint a picture of how these wonders of the world were built, but much of the story still remains a mystery...
ECLIPSES ON DEMAND
Inside an unassuming building, behind a damp car park in Antwerp, Belgium, scientists are teaching two spacecraft to be dance partners for a performance that will take place in front of the Sun.
How light's 'secret code' reveals the story of the cosmos
The starlight we can see tells us alot about the Universe, but it's the parts we can't see that contain the biggest revelations
An artificial heart inspired by plumbing
Mechanical circulation could revolutionise transplant design and reduce waiting lists
Major Stonehenge discovery deepens mystery around ancient monument
New findings suggest a key six-tonne stone came from over 450 miles north of the circle
THE UNEXPECTED RETURN OF PNEUMATIC TUBES
Once a pioneering technology that revolutionised deliveries, pneumatic tubes had all but disappeared. Now they're back and enjoying a resurgence
LIVING FOSSILS
FOR SOME CREATURES ALIVE TODAY TIME HAS ALMOST STOOD STILL. MEET THE 'LIVING FOSSILS' THAT GIVE US A GLIMPSE INTO LIFE IN THE DISTANT PAST
