Hasta La Gadget!

MIT’s Nexi robot has been teaching us about social interaction for years, and has even done a stint with the US Navy. Its latest role, however, involved studying those moments when society falls apart. Northeastern University researchers made Nexi the key ingredient of an experiment where subjects were asked to play a Prisoner’s Dilemma-style game immediately after a conversation, whether it was with a human or a machine. Nexi showed that humans are better judges of trustworthiness after they see the telltale body language of dishonesty — crossed arms, leaning back and other cues — even when those expressions come from a collection of metal and plastic. The study suggests not just that humans are tuned to watch for subtle hints of sketchy behavior, but that future humanoid robots could foster trust by using the right gestures. We’ll look forward to the friendlier machine assistants that result… and keep in mind the room for deception when the robots invariably plot to take over the world.

Continue reading Nexi robot helps Northeastern University track effects of shifty body language (video)

Filed under: Robots, Science

Nexi robot helps Northeastern University track effects of shifty body language (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Sep 2012 08:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A paper tiger might have a bark that’s worse than its bite, but that proverb might not be valid once you’ve seen the Mechanical Paper Robot. The brainchild of artist / genius Kikousya, it’s entirely constructed from dead trees, a few rubber bands and some dowel. We suggest you watch the amazing video after the break and, if you’re looking to build your own, head down to the source link for the instructions. After all, given the cost of those robotic bulls, scary babies and giant mecha, Skynet’s gonna need some wallet-friendly foot-soldiers for the Robopocalypse.

Continue reading Robot made from paper spells doom for the trees in the Robopocalypse (video)

Filed under: Robots, Alt

Robot made from paper spells doom for the trees in the Robopocalypse (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Aug 2012 20:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink The Verge, Robots Dreams  |  MPM  | Email this | Comments

It’s taken a year to get the sinister ticks and motions of Osaka University’s Affetto baby head out of our nightmares — and now it’s grown a torso. Walking that still-precarious line between robots and humans, the animated robot baby now has a pair of arms to call its own. The prototype upper body has a babyish looseness to it — accidentally hitting itself in the face during the demo video — with around 20 pneumatic actuators providing the movement. The face remains curiously paused, although we’d assume that the body prototype hasn’t been paired with facial motions just yet, which just about puts it the right side of adorable. However, the demonstration does include some sinister faceless dance motions. It’s right after the break — you’ve been warned.

Continue reading Baby robot Affetto gets a torso, still gives us the creeps (video)

Filed under: Robots

Baby robot Affetto gets a torso, still gives us the creeps (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jul 2012 06:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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