My Friend, the Robot
From: CNet - 05/24/2006
By: Tom Krazit

While robotic technology is making ever deeper inroads into the commercial
sector, robots are also being widely used in other areas, such as iRobot's
PackBots, which the U.S. military uses to detonate roadside bombs in Iraq. In
a recent interview, iRobot CEO Colin Angle shared his thoughts on the future
of robotics. When iRobot was developing the Roomba robot vacuum, one of the
more popular consumer robots, the designers consciously tried to make it more
functional than cute to avoid the personification problem, though Angle says
that some level of identification with the device is inevitable. "It's nearly
impossible not to have these emotions as you observe Roomba," Angle said.
"You want it to succeed, you're cheering for it, and it is a very emotional
sort of experience." Angle references the Furby, which he says sold in excess
of 20 million units, as proof that consumers look to robots for
companionship, regardless of whether they are built in a human form or not.
The greatest potential application for robots is to help the elderly who are
disinclined or unable to hire a live-in nurse to remain independent and in
their own homes for longer, Angle says. Roomba already helps in combating
seniors' social isolation, Angle notes, citing the testimonial of an elderly
woman unable to push a vacuum who was ashamed at how dirty her home would get
between visits from a cleaning company. After purchasing Roomba, she could
vacuum her home whenever she wanted, and she contacted iRobot to thank them
for making her feel good about entertaining guests more often. While at the
end of many people's lives they will need the close care that only a hospital
can provide, Angle looks to the potential of robots to administer virtual
nurse's visits and ensure that the patient is taking the appropriate
medication as a way of extending seniors' independence. 

Read the entire article at:
http://news.com.com/My+friend,+the+robot/2008-11394_3-6075921.html

Links:
Colin Angle
http://www.irobot.com/sp.cfm?pageid=39

iRobot
http://www.irobot.com/index.cfm

Roomba
http://www.irobot.com/sp.cfm?pageid=122

Furby
http://www.hasbro.com/furby/