What do you think about mobile companion robots?
I used Adobe Rush, Vllo, and Canva to create my video and used my iPad and my iPhone to record audio and video clips. Here it is, enjoy!
For those of you who have not seen the movie, Big Hero 6, here is a trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3biFxZIJOQ&ab_channel=WaltDisneyAnimationStudios
For the list of references, click here.
Hey Seo-Whi
Well done on your A3. I love the idea of a personalized robot that would be able to help me with health and education. I have used a Pepper robot in my classroom before, and it was something that was extremely interesting, but foreign for my students. It worked well in gaining interest, but there was still a lot of hesitation in using it as a tool for education as it was not advanced enough to meet the different needs of my students. It was partly due to the foreign nature of having a robot in the classroom, but the software behind it was also not developed enough to respond in natural ways. There is a large barrier to having robots that are advanced enough to provide the needs of the consumers. A big hurdle that I can imagine would be robots that can read human emotion. I read research of how this is already in fruition, but I think it would definitely complete the puzzle of having personal aid robots.
One concern that I would have would be the ethics behind it and how to prevent from overusing these robots if this were the case. We are already starting to grow more dependent on technology as a society, and I can imagine that eventually there is the possibility of becoming a population of helpless humans as seen in Wall-E.
https://thedaily.case.edu/robots-reading-feelings/
Hi Seo-Whi
Thank you for a very well presented and engaging presentation. I enjoyed the references and examples you provided to illustrate your points, however, you did rely quite heavily on the Baymax character and not having seen the movie myself (although I am interested in looking it up now), as has been mentioned before, a trailer or link to a webpage would have been helpful. I’m from a different generation, but when I think of your companion robots, I think of ‘Rosie’ from the Jetsons. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnoEpUrucwE
What are your thoughts about Artificial intelligence and self-awareness? There have been so many sci-fi stories/movies that address the ‘uprising of the robots’, but as AI technology develops, fiction is becoming closer to reality. The TV series NEXThttps://www.space.com/artificial-intelligence-thriller-next-fox-2020.html addressed computers who gained the ability to learn and improve themselves, consequentially creating a scary scenario where convenience apps (like Siri or Alexa) are continually listening to your conversations, learning, and then making their own decisions and actions (having networked control over cars, appliances, and electronics) as they become self aware. Unfortunately this series was cancelled after 1 season, but it brings up some very relevant points. Currently, even my email is analyzed, and automatic replies (which are scarily accurate and relevant) are generated. Google is constantly listening for me to tell her to add to my shopping list or to send my husband a text. The hands free option is convenient, but what if it goes too far?
Here is an article about how Alexa is constantly listening… https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/05/06/alexa-has-been-eavesdropping-you-this-whole-time/
If robots become self-aware, do we have rights and ownership over them, or do they become autonomous individuals that generate their own sets of rights?
Many thoughts to ponder, but it is an interesting area to explore.
Hi Marlis,
Thanks for your feedback! As mentioned below, I have edited the post to include a link so thank you for the suggestion! 🙂
I was having a conversation with a Ph.D. student studying machine learning and apparently, it is really possible for robots to act or do tasks that they were not programmed to do, as they learn how to react in different situations. However, this can be done only in the situation they were given. Now that you’ve mentioned, I realized that I rely on those automated replies and email analyses quite heavily. It is so convenient! One thing I would want to add to your question would be that even though most people are a bit reluctant when it comes to self-aware robots, what if that is something we get used to? I mean, we all are now extremely familiar with using Smartphones that we don’t really need calculators, cameras, or any other devices we might have used 5-10 years ago. At some point, we might view autonomous robots as “normal” and they may really become companions with their own rights… It is a scary idea.
Hi Seo-Whi,
Your interest in technology is evident, from your posts on assistive technology to the list of applications you used to make this presentation. I will be trying these apps for my future projects!
Your overview of the current robot assistants and your forecast of mobile companions are very thorough. I appreciate that you included the responses from your previous postings on companions and assistants in your analysis. The many facets of mobile companions that you examined were very accurate, and touched upon the positive, negative, and in-between views that may continue to underlie our connection to robots in our very near future.
I have not seen the movie that you alluded to in your presentation – a link to the movie trailer or description would have been helpful for me. It did remind me of apps being developed for people on the autism spectrum. http://med.stanford.edu/funglab/projects/buddybot.html I suspect that big data, AI and machine learning are already being incorporated into personal assistant technology, especially for those users who allow such apps to access all of the functionalities on their mobile device.
It was through the visual interpretation of the mobile companion in your video that I started to envision my future with such a device. For instance, our home has a thermostat that can be accessed via the IoT. This will probably morph into an AI home, with a communications dock for online meetings with public services such as the doctor, teachers, the tax collector, or other linked community organisations.
Once 5G permeates our country, I can foresee our mobile device providing mobile companion functions that (hopefully) we can control, much as we can control the level of cookies we now accept when visiting an online site.
Thank you for sharing your forecast!
Hi Evelyne,
Thanks for your feedback and the suggestions! I have edited the post to include a link to the trailer. 🙂
I appreciate you sharing the paper on BuddyBot for autism. It looks like they are in the process of testing out the AI. This ties in with my research that these mobile companions do have the potential to provide customized care and support for people who are in need. I wonder how much these robots will cost…
Hi Seo – Whi:
I enjoyed your video, especially pertaining to the healthcare applications of robots. Some doctors have already started to move in the direction of automated clinics. The patent capacity and quality of vital readings is significantly higher. My only concern with your video is since you used quite a bit of material from Disney, Youtube might not take kindly to it. You may want to take a look at it again one month after the course ends to ensure it has not been blocked. Clearly the content is educationally based and supports the mission of this mobile learning blog.
Hi Brittany,
Thanks for the feedback! I actually made sure to check the copyright laws and the regulations for Fair Use as I was making the video. Thanks for the concern.
Hi Seo-Whi,
You did a wonderful job with your A3. Your video is very informative, and a pleasure to watch! I was also considering doing my A3 on robot companions because I know that there is great potential for robots in education and for seniors with dementia. Although companionship robots can offer much more, I know there is lots of research about the power of observational learning using robots. I read this article by Saadatzi et al. (2008) where students with autism were able to learn sight words by watching a robot peer interact with a virtual teacher. Once again, great job:)
Here is the link to the article:
https://tinyurl.com/ygdw6wav
Hi Jennifer,
Thank you for the feedbak and for sharing the article!
Seo-Whi,
This is not only a great quality OER but also an important topic! I really enjoyed watching and learning from your video. Your Alexa example was a clever way of showing where mainstream tech is at in North America in contrast to the high-functioning robots mentioned elsewhere in your video.
“How much humanness do we need/want?” Seems to be a periphery question whenever we consider adding robots to an environment. For example, you state in your video that certain medical tasks are trusted to robots and others are not. Dana Roach mentions in her comment that she’d prefer a robot that doesn’t have highly human expressions of emotion (and I’d have to agree!). Michael Meraniuk recently published a post on Robot Teachers (https://blogs.ubc.ca/etec523/2021/04/04/robot-teacher/) and the teachers in the video discuss how important touch and human responses are to early childhood development. As an early childhood educator, I immediately thought about how difficult it can be for young children to seperate fiction from reality, and wondered at the ethical implications of introducing robots into their world as guiders, mentors, friends, or caregivers. I think this concern could extend to other vulnerable populations, such as the elderly, isolated, or disabled. This line of questioning also reminds me of the comments on Elixa Neumann’s A1 that wondered if a mental health AI could be problematic if the user became too attached (https://blogs.ubc.ca/etec523/2021/02/10/a1-replika-ai-companions-supporting-mental-health/).
Papadopoulos et al. (2020) specifically state there is a gap in knowledge with regards to robots in early childhood learning environments. I wonder if you came across any information or have an opinion on the topic with regards to young children or vulnerable populations?
Papadopoulos, I., Lazzarino, R., Miah, S., Weaver, T., Thomas, B., & Koulouglioti, C. (2020). A systematic review of the literature regarding socially assistive robots in pre-tertiary education. Computers and Education, 155. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2020.103924
Hi Lyndsay,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, especially on the potential effect of robot use and child development. If mobile companions and robots become a widely used technology in our homes, in healthcare, and in education, I think it would result in a total transformation of what our lives are going to be like, which is a dangerous path in my opinion. As much as I am intrigued by the idea and the convenience this could bring to our daily lives, there are definitely concerns (as true for any other technologies) and it almost needs a whole new OER for it! I appreciate you sharing research related to the topic and I will be checking those out for sure.
Hi Seo-Whi,
I like your video! It’s great to see a mix of different methods of making the video, it makes it more interesting to watch when you mix images and videos, created and real-life filming style. About your topic content, there is a huge market in China currently on robot companions in old age homes, or just old people living by themselves.
This is an example of a company that makes these robots in Taiwan. They are capable of detecting what objects have been put on them (like toothbrush, towels, …etc.) and take them to the right rooms for storage. They can also detect when an old person has had a fall.
https://www.chinatimes.com/newspapers/20190102000268-260202?chdtv
I think this robot companion is a huge market. Thanks for the video, I learned a lot from it!
Hi Emily,
Thank you for your feedback! I actually came across Aeolus while I was doing research which I thought was quite amazing! Robots are advancing quickly and the fact that we are already implementing the use of robots for healthcare and caregiving purposes, I don’t think we are too far from having something like Baymax in our homes!
Seo-Whi,
I have to admit, I LOVED Big Hero 6, so when I saw your project was related to the technologies Baymax used I was thrilled! That being said, I will admit that I have always been hesitant to utilize home robots like Google Home or Alexa due to privacy concerns. Roombas and robotic cleaning devices? Sure, no worries– but a robot who, while helpful, is listening to everything I say and do? I am more hesitant to say I’d be okay with that…
But in a future ideal situation where privacy concerns have readily been addressed I could see a companion robot being helpful in many of the ways you outlined. Especially as someone who, despite my hesitancies regarding data privacy, utilizes a lot of quantified self technologies (tracking apps, Apple Watch, etc…) I could imagine that having a Baymax-esque companion who could track those things for me would be extremely helpful. I will say, I want my companion robot to be a big, white, puffy, Michelin-man styled robot like Baymax and at all costs avoid a Sophia robot with simulated emotional expressions.
As I was watching your presentations I also kept thinking back to how these companion robots could also be a beneficial vector for the app PreciseWebMD (PWM) that Alexi described in his A3: https://blogs.ubc.ca/etec523/2021/04/03/precisewebmed-pwm/
Do you think your hypothesized companion robots could replace the need for apps like PWM, or merely serve as a more personable delivery device?
Hey Dana,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
I also noticed the PWM application and thought that a combination of something similar with mobile robots is what I was envisioning. I would assume that if the technology is available, companion robots would progressively replace the need for medical apps. I feel that the advancement of technology is allowing consumers to own fewer devices that have the capabilities of multiple devices combined. Just like how digital cameras are not used as widely as 5-10 years ago, as our mobile devices have made it possible to replace cameras. What do you think?
Seo-Whi,
I completely agree! Why would I go to the trouble of downloading an app if I could have a multi-use companion robot do the heavy lifting for me. Funny that you mention digital cameras… I have one that I never use since I am more familiar with my iPhone camera and I always have my phone with me. Not bringing my camera is just one less thing to pack and potentially lose!