Meet the Floating Robot Companion Designed for Safe, Friendly Human Interaction (CNET article with video)

[highplainsdem]

https://www.cnet.com/tech/floating-robots-safe-friendly-human-interaction/

Inspired by animated flying friends like Tinker Bell, Mew and Studio Ghibli's Soot Sprites, a team of researchers set out to show what a floating robotic companion might be good for and how humans could interact with it. Led by Mingyang Xu from Keio University in Japan, with participation from other institutions like the MIT Media Lab, the team recently released a demo video.

The video shows a lighter-than-air robot with fins gliding through the air, making it look like a white, floating whale. It hovers without the loud whirr that accompanies most drones. Thanks to its light construction, soft body and lack of pinch points, it can interact with humans with little risk of injury.

Robotics companies often struggle to create machines that feel both safe to interact with and emotionally engaging, because rigid designs and inorganic appearances can trigger the unsettling effect known as the uncanny valley -- the viscerally creepy feeling people get when something looks almost human, but not quite right.

-snip-

The video demonstrated soft floating robots serving as a dance partner, study buddy, alarm clock, reminder and source of entertainment. To see the robot in action, check out the video in this article.

And no, I don't think these are a good idea. Imagine a number of these in a room. Or pets trying to "kill" them. Or even one of these stupidly large balloons intended for indoor use blocking part of the user's view in its direction.

[Dave Bowman]

1. Interesting. They must be very vulnerable to pins though.

[highplainsdem]

2. They'd be equipped with cameras and microphones, which makes them surveillance devices.

[Martin68]

3. That could be very helpful for people wanting to keep tabs on an aged parent suffering from dementia.

It's not the sort of unobtrusive device that could be used to bug or spy on somebody without their knowledge. that said, it would be best if the manufacturer built in a firewall to prevent hacking of the video and mic feed.

[highplainsdem]

4. I can't imagine anyone with dementia reacting favorably to a large balloon following them around,

whether or not they're aware it's spying on them.

[Martin68]

5. I can.

[highplainsdem]

6. You think they're too oblivious to notice it? Or could be convinced that a balloon following them around

is perfectly normal and benign, though they've never experienced anything like that before?

[Martin68]

8. First of all, people in the early stages of dementia need to be monitored, but they are not totally oblivious in any

sense of the word. They forget words, lose their train of thought, get lost outside, leave a burner on the stove burning but they would have no trouble being introduced to such a harmless-looking balloon as a friend and a way for their loved ones to watch and even talk to them remotely. I'm 74 and I have watched my parents and aunts and uncles (and those of my close friends) gradually descend into dementia. It is a process, and there is plenty of time and brainpower left to get to know a balluon "companion."

[highplainsdem]

10. I'm very familiar with taking care of people with dementia, having taken care of my mother for years at

home, then helped when she was in an Alzheimer's ward when she could no longer be cared for at home. Saw a lot of patients with dementia, some with early-onset Alzheimer's. I don't for a second believe any of them would have welcomed a balloon following them around so they could be spied on, even though they'd usually be fine with friendly human helpers.

And assuming the floating bot could talk to the person it was following around, too, it would most likely be using generative AI, which can hallucinate. So it would be quite capable of telling the human it's spying on that someone or something was harmless when they weren't, or dangerous when they weren't.

Someone who gets lost outside or might not be careful in the kitchen needs human caretakers, not a balloon bot. Especially when it would be using a type of AI that might give them wrong directions and assure them they'd turned the stove off when they hadn't.

I can easily imagine nursing home managers and owners caring only about profits thinking floating spy bots might let them fire more human aides.

[indusurb]

7. I know at least three cats and a dog that would love to play with one of these.

And of course destroy it within minutes.

[highplainsdem]

9. Anyone who's ever seen dogs or cats jump at balloons knows they'd be unlikely to ignore a floating robot.

I'd also be concerned that the pets might injure themselves chasing a floating bot, especially as it drifted up and down stairs.

A floating bot could cause bad accidents for small children watching it, too.

I once had a parrot who would have made quick work of that robot...