Communications of the ACM
Hitachi Unveils Robot With a Sense of Humor
Hitachi engineers say EMIEW2, a small robot on roller skates, has a sense of humor that it displays in conversation with humans.
Credit: Yoshikazu Tsuno/AFP
Hitachi engineers announced they have created an android robot with a sense of humor.
The researchers say EMIEW2, a small robot on roller skates, is capable of short, unscripted conversation with human beings. Using key words, the robot determines the nature of inquiries, which it confirms prior to responding. The robot understands various human responses, including nonverbal signals such as a nod. After telling a joke, the robot watches for nonverbal signals that a person has understood.
"The new technology makes it possible for a robot to understand what a human means, even if they only gesture," says Hitachi's Hisashi Ikeda.
The company notes EMIEW2, short for "excellent mobility and interactive existence as workmate," is intended to provide company for people in some form, such as a kind of house pet or as a receptionist.
From Agence France-Presse
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