What is a social robot? They are robots where social skills and interaction play a key role in their development. They should be capable of showing emotions, have capacity to carry an advanced level conversation, understand the mental models of their social partners, have relationships and maintain them, use natural communication cues and learn social capabilities, as described by Thosha Moodley.
For professor Mary-Anne Williams, social robots are designed to work with people safely and efficiently, and to add value to people’s lives by helping, caring, teaching and entertaining. Rotos are already among us and you can find them everywhere from the operating theatre to the bottom of the ocean. This should raise the conversation around their design, capabilities and legal status.
- If you want to know more about Social Robotics watch the video below
- Meet Pepper and Nao, two examples of social robots
- And last but not least, where are social robots going?
By Natalia Cardona Mercado for RobotUnion
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