People feel uncomfortable when they see robots tortured, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Duisburg Essen in Germany. While the results may explain why some robots are popular characters in science fiction, they also have implications for robotics as more machines interact with humans in a wider range of situations. The researchers showed videos of a small dinosaur-shaped robot either being treated affectionately or abused.
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Study: Robot Abuse Switches On Human Empathy
Posted by: Richard Adhikari April 24, 2013 12:43 PMPeople feel uncomfortable when they see robots tortured, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Duisburg Essen in Germany. While the results may explain why some robots are popular characters in science fiction, they also have implications for robotics as more machines interact with humans in a wider range of situations. The researchers showed videos of a small dinosaur-shaped robot either being treated affectionately or abused.