What do we want from robots?

SAN JOSE, CA. While attending the Embedded Systems Conference I had a chance to visit an exhibit titled “Robots: Evolution of a Cultural Icon” at the San Jose Museum of Art. While the ESC showed robotic technology as it actually is, the SJMOA exhibit presents an almost plaintive look at what might have been: “We were promised robots” is the lament of the artist Michael A. Salter in a statement that serves as a subtitle to the exhibit (which will run through October 19).

So what, exactly, was promised that wasn’t delivered? According to an exhibit handout, many people “…grew up imagining a future populated by friendly humanoid robots that would help us with our homework, mow our lawns, even cook our meals.”

The crux of that statement is that people were looking for friendship from their robots as much as service. After all, computers can help with homework, and intelligent microwave ovens can cook our meals. I’m not sure whether there is a robot that can mow our lawns, but it seems that a Roomba-like device configured with blades could do the job. It’s just that none of those devices is particularly friendly.

As for what is on display, Salter presented his Giant Styrobot, a huge agglomeration of polystyrene packing pieces in roughly humanoid form. It’s completely useless (except possibly as a repository for used and nonbiodegradable packing material), and I took it as a criticism of today’s engineers’ failure to build on the work of Mary Shelley’s 1818 creation, the scientist Victor Frankenstein. If over a period 190 years scientists can’t fulfill the promise of robots, he seems to be saying, I’ll do it myself with whatever materials are at hand.

South Korean-born American artist Nam June Paik seemed to criticize technology in general—not just the failure to develop humanoid robots—with the works of his that are on display, including 15 televisions racked together in a vaguely humanoid form. Each TV displays an abstract pattern in an effort, according to an exhibit label, to subvert television’s ability to represent reality.

As for friendliness, other robots on display try hard to establish an emotional connection with visitors. Alan Rath’s “I Like to Watch” uses its ghostly, moving CRT eyes to try to establish report with the viewer. Jason Van Anden’s corpulent robots Neil and Iona engage the viewer with body language, facial expressions, and weird sounds.

It’s all strangely compelling. Perhaps engineers looking for a killer app should forego the quest for utility and simply build everybody an electromechanical best friend. Granted, Sony made an effort with AIBO. But AIBO wasn’t humanoid, and it was expensive compared to a real dog.

As for the engineers who have failed to deliver friendly humanoid robots—they may be replaced by “domain experts.” See the related post from the ESC.