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Post by thomasallencummins on Jul 20, 2007 13:09:42 GMT -5
 www.livescience.com/technology/070716_receptionist_robot.htmlThe Wakamaru receptionist robot has finally found some work. People Staff, a large temporary staffing agency based in Nagoya, Japan, announced that it has "hired" ten of the bright yellow robots as dispatch workers (see photo). They are ready to work at businesses in the Tokai area of central Japan.
The receptionist robots are one meter tall; they move their 66 pound bodies around on wheels. The bots were first developed by Mitsubishi in 2003 as a companion robot; interaction with human beings is its specialty. The home version allows the bot to connect to Internet news (to obtain conversational material); it also allows remote observation via Wakamaru's cameras.
We need these everywhere as soon as possible. ;D |
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ram
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Post by ram on Jul 20, 2007 13:35:28 GMT -5
I have a hunch that the public will probably be friendlier to these robot receptionists than to the live human kind. Maybe it's their cuteness factor, maybe it's that people when approaching a robot will automatically be more cautious or be more patient. Whereas if they were coming up to a human who's behind the desk, well, they expect him/her to know everything and wouldn't hesitate to hurl abuse. They'd feel more foolish shouting abuse at a robot because they know they can't hurt the feelings of a machine. But people have no trouble being nasty to each other.
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The Crank from the Tank
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Post by Avatar on Jul 23, 2007 1:17:38 GMT -5
Interesting point. On the other hand, there could be a consequence-free catharsis in being abusive to it...
--A
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Post by dANdeLION on Jul 23, 2007 14:41:16 GMT -5
I don't think I'd verbally abuse something that could be recording everything I say......
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The Crank from the Tank
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Post by Avatar on Jul 23, 2007 23:33:27 GMT -5
LOLS But it couldn't sue you either...it's property.
(I'm telling you, one day we'll be having all those ethical dilemma's in the Asimov books... ;D )
--A
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Post by dANdeLION on Jul 24, 2007 7:09:47 GMT -5
I'm waiting till they make an android receptionist that looks like Sean Young before I have any ethical dilemmas.
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Post by thomasallencummins on Jul 24, 2007 11:20:25 GMT -5
I wonder if I'd be as rude to a robot receptionist as I am to my home pc? I'm guessing the robot would probably continue being cordial no matter what the humans would say or do.
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Post by Avatar on Jul 25, 2007 1:18:27 GMT -5
Yep...then think of Bicentennial Man or Caves of Steel and see what people did to unfailingly polite and unable to complain robots.
--A
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ram
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Post by ram on Aug 8, 2007 10:34:52 GMT -5
Well, fine, guess my little theory is off base.
We could go to the other extreme: build a robot receptionist that looks like Osama Bin Laden, then people can let loose and beat it up all day long.
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