In her article, Sherry Turkle projects the computer as
moving away from its mechanical role as object; it does things for us, to a
more interactive subject; it does things to us. Computers are now cast in the
role of Relational Artifacts, a technological companion species. What role
might this new species have in the future?
As the “Baby-boomers” continue to age, retire, and enter the
twilight of their lives, they continue to posse significant demands on health
care, assisted living, and family relationships. Loneliness, detachment from
the traditional family structure, lack of self worth are some of the
afflictions facing some of most elderly citizens. A mechanical pet; AI in the form of Scottish terrier offers some very interesting options.
A robotic dog may be the answer to many seniors where a real dog is not
a viable option. As social creatures, humans have the need for interactions and company, something that RoboDog would provide. Such a pet could easily handle
reminders to take medication, provide security along with a wide range of other
technological tasks, but is it “Alive”; can it respond to the emotional needs
of its owner?
Watching my daughter look after an “Electronic Baby” for
three days and nights leads me to believe an emotional relationship; albeit not
a traditional human-human relationship is entirely possible. Armed with sensors, the baby responded to touching, feeding, changing, much like a real baby. Watching my daughter visibly relax as the baby slowed, and then eventually stopped crying in the middle of the night provided me with some realization that the baby had evoked real emotions in my daughter. Surely RoboDog has the potential to elicit similar emotions with my great aunt, who generally spends most of her day alone, in front of the window, just watching.