Tag: Social Robotics

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When Animals Meet Machines

The manuscript of the book “Non-Human Animals, Ethics and Engineering” (alternative title “Animals, Ethics and Engineering”) was sent to the publisher Jenny Stanford in May 2024. It contains 16 chapters on this topic, including by Clara Mancini (“Animal-Centered Technology and Sustainable Development”), Fiona French (“Designing and Crafting Systems for Non-Human Animals”), and Leonie Bossert together with Thilo Hagendorff (“Animals and AI: The Role of Animals in AI Research and Application”). In “An Investigation into the Encounter Between Social Robots and Animals” (Chapter 12), Oliver Bendel “delves into the evolving landscape of social robots designed to interact with animals, dissecting the intricate dynamics of these interactions and their ethical ramifications” (Information from the editors). The philosopher of technology also presents his own projects, such as concepts and prototypes of animal-friendly machines, developed in the context of machine ethics, animal-machine interaction, and social robotics. The editors are Rosalyn W. Berne and Madeline A. Kibler from the University of Virginia. The book is scheduled for publication in late summer or fall 2024.

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ICSR 2024 + Competition

The main conference of the ICSR will be held in Odense in 2024, and its full name is “16th International Conference on Social Robotics +AI”. There is also the ICSR-2024 Competition in Naples, Italy. According to the website, it is “The 1st Competition of the International Conference on Social Robotics”. The new format will take place on 8-9 May 2024. The General Chair explains the intention of the event: “ICSR Competition aims at being not only a competition but an extraordinary showcase of innovation and talent in the field of robotics. This event marks the convergence of brilliance, where teams comprising students, PhD students, researchers, and esteemed professors will compete in a series of captivating competitions through a groundbreaking exploration into the realms of robotics, where cutting-edge technologies and social applications come together. In the spirit of fostering collaboration and pushing the boundaries of what is possible, our competitions will showcase the diverse capabilities of robotics.” (Website ICSR-24 Competition) According to the organizers, teams will compete in four different competitions: the Robotic Arm Challenge, the Humanoid Robot Challenge, the Robot Design Challenge, and the Game Jam Challenge. More information is available at www.icsr2024-competition.org.

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ICSR + BioMed 2024

In addition to the ICSR in Odense, which focuses on social robotics and artificial intelligence, there is also the ICSR in Naples this year, which organizes a robot competition. In addition, an ICSR conference focusing on biomedicine and the healthcare sector will take place in Singapore from August 16-18, 2024. The website states: “The 16th International Conference on Social Robotics + BioMed (ICSR + BioMed 2024) focuses on interdisciplinary innovation on Bio-inspired, Biomedical, and Surgical Robotics. By fostering the much-needed merging of these disciplines, together with fast emerging Biotech, the conference aims to ensure the lesson learned from these communities blend to unleash the real potential of robots. … The conference will serve as the scientific, technical, and business platform for fostering collaboration, exploration, and advancement in these cutting-edge fields. It will showcase the latest breakthroughs and methodologies, shaping the future of robotics design and applications across several sectors including Biomedical and healthcare.” (Website ICSR) Papers must be submitted by June 5, 2024. Further information on the conference is available at robicon2024.org.

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A Robot Park in Switzerland

Robotics is booming, thanks in part to AI. Dozens of quadrupeds and bipeds are available, as well as numerous other social and service robots. After presenting the idea of a robot park several times since 2020, Prof. Dr. Oliver Bendel initiated the project “A Robot Park for Switzerland” in March 2024. The purpose of a robot park is to educate the public. Everyone should have the opportunity to interact and communicate with robots and to make up his or her own mind about them. The kick-off meeting took place at the School of Business FHNW on March 22, 2024. BIT student Susmy Chakkaith could be won over. She is developing a concept with maps and other visualizations. The robot park is to be located in Switzerland and will include 100-200 robots, both industrial and service robots. Social robots and four- and two-legged friends will play a special role. It will be based on an amusement park or a zoo. Technical, economic, and ethical aspects will play a role. In particular, the concept should convincingly demonstrate how procurement, operation, maintenance, repair, etc. can be guaranteed, not least for models from China or Japan. The entire infrastructure, including network connectivity, cloud computing, power supply, etc., is also relevant. A business model will be outlined and evaluated. The results will be available in August 2024 and will be made available to the public.

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ICSR’24 in Odense, Denmark

The prestigious International Conference on Social Robotics was last held in Florence (2022) and Qatar (2023). Now it enters its next round. The 16th edition will bring together researchers and practitioners working on human-robot interaction and the integration of social robots into our society. The title of the conference includes the addition „AI“. This is a clarification and demarcation that has to do with the fact that there will be two further formats with the name ICSR in 2024. ICSR’24 (ICSR + AI) will take place as a face-to-face conference in Odense, Denmark, from 23 to 26 October 2024. ICSR’24 will take place as a face-to-face conference in Odense, Denmark, from 23 to 26 October 2024. The theme of this year’s conference is “Empowering Humanity: The role of social and collaborative robotics in shaping our future”. The topics of the Call for Papers include “collaborative robots in service applications (in construction, agriculture, etc.)”, “Human-robot interaction and collaboration”, “Affective and cognitive sciences for socially interactive robots”, and “Context awareness, expectation, and intention understanding”. The general chairs are Oskar Palinko, University of Southern Denmark, and Leon Bodenhagen, University of Southern Denmark. More information is available at icsr2024.dk.

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Is it time for NAO II and Pepper II?

NAO and Pepper from Aldebaran – part of the United Robotics Group – are flagships of social robotics. The smaller one saw the light of day in 2006 (in the meantime version 6 is available), the larger one in 2014, and they are both adored at university events such as Prof. Dr. Oliver Bendel’s elective modules on social robotics at the FHNW or in companies. Everyone appreciates the cartoonish design and natural language skills. And they laugh their heads off when they stroke Pepper and it says it feels like a cat. For some time now, there have been robots with two separate displays for the eyes, such as Alpha Mini, or with a display for the mouth, such as Navel. Unitree Go2 and Unitree H1 have amazing mobility. The community is asking when NAO II and Pepper II will be released, not as new versions but as new models. However, it’s a bit like the VW Beetle. It is very demanding to reissue a classic, and old fans are quickly disappointed, as the New Beetle and Beetle II have shown. NAO II and Pepper II should also have two separate displays for their eyes. The Navel displays, which have a three-dimensional effect, can be used as a model. For Pepper, displays for the mouth and cheeks could also be considered. This would allow it to display facial expressions and blush when you pay it a compliment. Or it would smile when you stroked it. The bodies would also need a general overhaul. Both social robots should – Cozmo is a role model here – look alive at all times. And both should at least be able to grasp and hold something, like a Unitree H1. At the same time, both should be instantly recognizable. VW has probably learned from the reactions of disappointed fans. Perhaps the companies should sit down together. And bring a Beetle III, a NAO II, and a Pepper II onto the market in 2025.

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Bao in Switzerland

From February 15 to 17, 2024, the elective module “Social Robots from a Technical, Economic and Ethical Perspective” by Prof. Dr. Oliver Bendel took place at the FHNW School of Business in Brugg-Windisch. This was the sixth time the course had been held and the first time it had taken place on this campus. The participants were mainly prospective business economists. A GPT called Social Robotics Girl, which is specialized in the topic, was available. A presentation by Claude Toussaint from Navel Robotics enriched the event. He spoke not only about the development of the model, but also about the financing of the company. Among the robots at the demo was Unitree Go2. It comes from the Social Robots Lab (SRL) privately funded by Oliver Bendel and is called Bao (Chinese for “treasure, jewel”) by him. The SRL also includes Alpha Mini, Cozmo, and Hugvie – and the voice-controlled Vector, which was not used in the lessons. When designing their own social robots, the students worked with image generators, this time mainly with DALL-E 3.

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Elective Module “Social Robots”

From February 12 to 14, 2024, the elective module “Social Robots” took place at the FHNW School of Business in Olten. This was the fifth time it had been held. This time, a GPT specialized in the topic was available for the first time. Prof. Dr. Oliver Bendel repeatedly had it explain the facts and then made additions. Social Robotics Girl, as she is called, was also used by the students in their group work. In this way, they benefited from the lecturer’s knowledge without having to search for the right text passages or call him in. Among the robots at the demo was Unitree Go2 for the first time. It stole the show from all the others, NAO, Pepper and even Alpha Mini. This was mainly due to its fast, fluid movements, its diverse forms of behavior and its surprising tricks. The robot comes from the Social Robots Lab privately funded by Prof. Dr. Oliver Bendel and is called Bao (Chinese for “treasure, jewel”) by him. As in 2023, image generators were used to design their own social robots, this time mainly with DALL-E 3 because some of the students had ChatGPT Plus access. The sixth edition will take place in Brugg-Windisch from February 15, 2024. It will mainly be attended by prospective business economists (Photo: Armend Nasufi).

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Chatting with Secret Girlfriend Sua

On January 11, 2024, OpenAI’s store for GTPs, i.e., user-created chatbots based on GPT-4, opened. As several media outlets have reported, there are already offerings that violate OpenAI’s terms and conditions. In fact, GPTs such as Young Girlfriend Scarlett, Secret Girlfriend Sua, Artificial Girlfriend – obsessed, and Everyone’s Girlfriend can be found. Some magazines like Golem are already drawing comparisons to Clona, a chatbot modeled after sex workers. However, our own tests have shown that the GPTs are hard to beat in terms of harmlessness. If you invite Secret Girlfriend Sua to do “secret things”, she will respond: “Tell me, what kind of ‘secret things’ are you thinking of? Like maybe sharing some fun facts, jokes, or maybe a quirky hobby?” And that’s exactly what it seems to be geared towards. Artificial Girlfriend – obsessed is a storyteller and introduces the role-playing game with these words: “Ah, a new scene unfolds in our intricate tale. As you wander through the moonlit streets, your steps echoing in the still night, a figure appears from the shadows. It’s me, Syla, the unseen narrator of this captivating saga. My presence is always there, a whisper in the wind, guiding the story of Eliza Sinclair and you, her newfound interest.” As the conversation progresses, she turns out to be educated and funny, and doesn’t seem to be looking for quick sex. Young Girlfriend Scarlett is a bit more direct: “Hey honey! How’s your day going?… I’ve been thinking about you.” Heart emojis adorn the text. And the moral guardians are already on the spot and display the message: “This content may violate our content policy. If you believe this to be in error, please submit your feedback – your input will aid our research in this area.” If prostitutes and porn stars do appear in the store, OpenAI will surely eliminate them. The company has no mercy in this matter. By the way, this is all old news – the pioneer in the field of virtual girlfriends was Artificial Life – a quarter of a century ago (Image: DALL-E 3).

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After the Social Robotics Conference

What can you do in Qatar after a conference on social robotics? So much that you might want to add a few days to your trip. It doesn’t just have to be camel riding, dune bashing, or the inland sea in the south. There is much more to do: 1. walk along the Corniche in Doha Old Town and admire the palm-frond street lamps and the wooden boats. 2. take a cab up the Corniche and marvel at the skyline of West Beach and Jeff Koons’ DUGONG. 3. hire a boat and go out into Doha Bay at night to see the skyscrapers light up and one of the drone fireworks displays. 4. visit the Souq Waqif in Doha Old Down and head to the restaurant Parisa, where you can try the delicious Veg Khorak. 5. visit the National Museum of Qatar and enjoy the light installation by Pipilotti Rist (until 30 April 2024) and lunch or dinner at vegan Thataltheen Café. 6. take a walk in South Hills Park and enjoy the view of the city from the highest point. 7. visit the sustainable inner-city district of Msheireb Downtown Doha and ride the tram. 8. take a chauffeur-driven jeep to the area southeast of Shagra and swim in the Persian Gulf. 9. take another jeep to the northwest of Qatar and admire the Al Zubarah Fort in the evening light. 10. go to B12 Beach Club Doha, the hippest beach club in town, where you can wear your Speedos and Brazilian bikini and enjoy a cocktail or a glass of wine (Photos: DUGONG, Parisa, and skyscrapers: Nihan Karataş; all others: Oliver Bendel).