Photographer Max Aguilera-Hellweg and Siddhartha Srinivasa, Professor at the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, talk about the future of robots and how robots are becoming more human. Max Aguilera-Hellweg took the photographs for the article “Making Robots Human,” in the August issue of National Geographic magazine, and Siddhartha Srinivasa is featured in the story. With advances in technology that allow robots to speak, blink, smile and perform such tasks as folding clothes and cooking, questions are being raised as to how human is too human. They explore how much everyday human function we want to outsource to machines, how the robot revolution will change the way we relate to each other, and if we’re ready for robots.

Comments [9]
Are any of the scientists working on robots thinking of the environmental impact? How are they powered - by toxic laden batteries?
Electricity generated from fossil fuels?
What kind of materials are they made from, and how environmentally friendly is the industrial process by which they are made?
Man never gave much thought to the environmental impact of the automobile as it was developed and became mainstream. Will the same happen with robotics? It's easy to think that robotic science is a creative field, but lets not lose sight of the fact that such creative efforts are ultimately more destructive in the long run.
Watch: Social Robots (NOVA Science NOW)
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tech/social-robots.html
Will no one bring up the problem of robots needing old people's medicine for food? When they grab you with those metal claws, you can't break free.
Boston Dynamics' Big Dog robot is unbelievable. Not in the "humanoid" category but certainly evokes an emotional response when seen in action.
omg...
Of COURSE digital allows for different styles...just as 35mm did...and color did and photography itself (all developments that ALSO caused worry about what was "lost" etc, etc in their time)
It's the INDIVIDUAL that produces unique work, not the tool.
Jeeeez....
Explain how a computer program becomes 'confused'.
You might suggest that a light switch is 'confused' when you try to move it from side to side rather than up and down.
1.as we depopulate over the next century, robots will fill a vital gap.
2. What was the camp he mentioned got kids? Thanks
Would robots have lights where we'd expect eyes, or cameras? It makes sense to me to have visual input where people would expect to see eyes, esp. in "relatable" robots that are programmed to interpret facial expressions, so the people they interact with look at the right place to let the robot see their expressions.
"Replicants"?, lol.
That didn't turn out so well in Bladerunner
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