Soft Spot for Circuitry
From: New York Times - 07/04/2010
By: Amy Harmon

Robots designed to provide companionship are making strides. Examples include
a device styled after a baby seal that responds to light, sound, touch, and
temperature, and which is being used to soothe distressed people, such as
dementia patients. The falling cost of such machines may help lead to their
wider use. Scientists have noticed that people tend to display animus toward
robots that do not follow preconceived behavioral patterns. Some critics are
concerned that the growing popularity of personal robots will encourage the
replacement of human-human engagement. Computer scientists say such
interaction stems from a fundamental human reflex to treat objects that are
responsive to their surroundings as if they are living. "When something
responds to us, we are built for our emotions to trigger, even when we are
110 percent certain that it is not human," notes Stanford University
professor Clifford Nass. "Which brings up the ethical question: Should you
meet the needs of people with something that basically suckers them?"  

Read the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/05/science/05robot.html

Links:
Paro
http://video.nytimes.com/video/2010/06/29/us/1247468152153/bonding-with-paro.html

Mental Commit Robot for Psychological Enrichment
http://paro.jp/english/index.html

Robotic Baby Seal Coming to US Shores
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91875735

The serious truth behind the adorable PARO baby seal-bot
http://www.gizmag.com/paro-robot-baby-seal-companion/13753/

Cuddly Robot Comforts the Elderly
http://web-japan.org/trends/09_sci-tech/sci090917.html