A robot with emotions? Does it not sound like a science fiction?
Since childhood we have learnt that ‘robots’ are machines which can work and think like human beings but lack human emotions.
But now with the assistance of neural networks, this is possible! These machines can be programmed to think and feel like us. Such programmable robots that respond to human interaction are called Emotibotes.
A Science Museum in London exhibits such robots, the most popular ones being the Heart Robot and the Hexapod Robot.
The Heart Robot is half robot and half puppet which reacts to affection like any other child. If he is scared or startled he clenches his fists and his heart starts pounding.
Because of this the visitors have started ill-treating the little puppet. They caress him and when he responds to their caresses and soft soothing tones (for which he has been programmed) they, suddenly jolt him with a shriek or a loud noise which sends his heart pounding as he clenches his fists in fear.
The Hexapod Robot resembles a six-legged metallic spider, equipped with a camera in its eye. It catches people’s gaze, downloads their photographs which can be seen on a plasma screen, and at times even fastens itself to visitors and moves around with them.
Children love to interact with these robots which respond to them. Some cuddle and hug them while some love to scare them.This was an experiment conducted by the scientists of the University of the West of England in Bristol, to explore and study the emotional interaction of machines with humans.