From C-3PO to WALL-E, the loveable robot has long inhabited popular imagination. Today we examine the increasing melding of fantasy and reality…the social robot has begun to win the hearts and minds of people all around the world.
From the Japanese made “Paro” to pillow pets to Roomba the vacuum cleaner, these robots are engineered to be social. Notable is their growing role in a rehabilitation setting, where they aid the lonely, dementia-suffering, or autistic patient. However, the idea of robot attachment is not without its objectors. Joining us today to discuss the growing phenomenon is Robert Ito, who wrote an article called “The Love Bot” for Pacific Standard Magazine.
Or you can use the robot to pick locks and steal jewels:
