A recent CES show highlighted some of the world’s newest and coolest robots. Among these was a rather friendly-looking chap known simply as Buddy. Buddy, who bears a striking resemblance to hybrid of Johnny 5, Parades around the house watching for intruders, sending video calls, and helping with other menial tasks.
Then there’s Pepper, a rather cheerful looking soul who can recognize when you’re sad and pop over and give you a quick hug. Cool? Yes. Worth the expensive outlay? Wouldn’t it be cheaper to buy a cat? However I’m putting this down as a must for all fellow Rangers fans, since we so often need a pick me up!
Another of the new robots on display at the event was a rather more sinister looking ‘bot known as Mother. Mother looks like a bowling pin that has been possessed by a demon. It is effectively a monitoring device. It can watch you sleep (which is horrifying), monitor your breathing, etc. Call me crazy, but I’d suggest knowing I’m going to be spied on by a creepy robot is going to affect my heart rate and breathing whilst I rest more so then any medical condition.
These robots are very cool and show just how far robotics has come, but does revisit the classic questions of how much autonomy you give technology? We already have phone apps that tell us when to get out of bed and the majority of us spend a good portion of our day with our eyes glued to some kind of screen, mobile or otherwise. Should we use electronic companions to replace the good old fashioned hug? To paraphrase Jurassic park: Maybe the question shouldn’t be whether we could, but rather if we should!
