Is it time to become friends with robots? In this edition of CNET Member Asks, jbs_Reptile AKA Anthony P. from San Francisco is a big robot fan.
He just bought his first robot to help clean his house, but he's also fascinated by robots that could take on a more social role in the household. Read what he has to say below.
jbs_Reptile: "I have a deep interest in technology and robotics. I love watching videos I see on social media showcasing Boston Dynamics robots such as Spot and Atlas. I remember seeing a robot called ASIMO in a Honda commercial years ago. It was in a history museum and I thought it was cool how something so technologically advanced was in the presence of artifacts. Fast forward to today, I own my first robot (Roomba) and I am getting excited about the abundance of soon to be household robots. I hear rumors of a project "Vesta" from Amazon which will be a household robot. I envision a robot that will be able to do numerous task from getting a beer from the refrigerator to cleaning my pad.
Knowing Amazon I am sure Alexa will be built inside and hope it has appendages. I am not a huge fan of what I call the "kid" version of household robots like Jibo or Kuri. They can do a basic task such as control your smart devices and take pictures but lack appendages to perform a human-like task. I think people will open up to the idea of having their own robot in their household. Most people I know own a Roomba, a smart assistant, or some sort of smart tech. You are starting to see them in public places like Pepper. She has been in malls to individual stores being able to recognize human emotions and interact with humans in a meaningful way. Robots will be able to make our day to day lives easier by freeing up time. I'm wondering if people would consider a social robot in their home?
Manuel Flores/CNET
Owning your own social robot is a conversation piece on it's own. Friends and family will be inclined to socialize with the robot due to the uniqueness. The humanlike nature and emotional recognition will make it easier for people to communicate and relate. Think about being at a party and you have people who speak different languages and maybe most are not socializing due to being shy. A social robot can help break the ice by translating speech to people, making jokes, doing some sort of cool trick that warms up the crowd."
Anthony P. is a big fan of robots and would eventually like to own a social robot in his home. Let us know if you agree or disagree in the comments, or by participating in the member created poll below.
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