I consider this sort of thing a step up from emoticons, but no more reliable than that for helping us replicate or simulate emotional content in a technological world.

Typing :-)  lends some implication of amusement, but it doesn't give any depth to that faux emotion.

Better than nothing, but a far cry from flesh and blood, hard wired body language.

I agree that a robot that mimics facial expressions will have an impact on people's perceptions of the robot. I'm just not sure the impacts will track with how the same expressions affect our perceptions of people.

As for the creepiness factor, there is a psychological effect, the uncanny valley, that states that people respond favorably to anthropomorphized machines...up to a point. After that machine becomes too human like, it becomes a negative affect. The "creepy" factor overrides our desire to deal with a machine we can identify with.

Other references to uncanny valley include...

 http://www.arclight.net/~pdb/nonfiction/uncanny-valley.html

http://www.slate.com/id/2102086

http://www.wordspy.com/words/uncannyvalley.asp

http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=853

ScottE -- Member (always) & Moderator (when needed)

Elvis?!? did I hear Elvis. What a great Idea the Elvinator with human interation and a complete facial movements that reacts with what is feeling. I need to change my elvinator to run on a pc based platform so the software and computer can handle all the input. Thanks Pete! this will of course set me back about a year. lol but well worth it.

GWJax, To Hack and make mods on robots is a life style and comes natural and not by choice. If a robot has a screw to open it then it must be opened!

The problem for me with this robot is the actual physical design of the face. The sort of sunken, giant eyes, tiny nose, pale skin, bloated head.... it looks like some starving creature that crawled up out of a cave and wants something from me really bad. Creeps ensue.

One thing to note when working with robot eyes: with humans, you never really see the entire iris of the eye unless someone is surprised. The eyelid is covering the iris, at least a little, 99% of the time. Having the iris completley exposed all the time gives this robot a staring, yearning look.

It's going to be hard to design a robot that doesn't creep someone out somewhere.

I kind of like it. its very realistic perfect to do the chores!

Now if we can add Nexi with this body that would be really creepy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSfaRcmsrtw

I'm having trouble with the add pic and youtube adons on my screen. the Icons are gone since the Quick Reply post box was added. Anyone know why or is it just my computer?

GWJax, To Hack and make mods on robots is a life style and comes natural and not by choice. If a robot has a screw to open it then it must be opened!