No matter how uncomfortable we may be with robots, it seems like it’s high time for all of us to accept, if not enthusiastically embrace, the dawning of the Asimov era.
-Mark Hay, The Daily Good
The 2012 film Robot & Frank tells the story of the relationship between an elderly man and his assistive robot. After struggling to come to grips with his new caretaker, Frank begins to thrive through the companionship of his robot. While this seems like something from the distant future or a science fiction novel, a world with therapeutic robots both in the home and in a clinical setting may be closer to reality than we think. Recent technological developments for populations such as the elderly and the autistic are bringing us closer to the dawning of a robotic age.
However, with the increasing prevalence of robots in therapeutic roles, we must consider their design in order to best maximize utility for their target populations. According to the theory of the uncanny valley, robots, particularly those modeled after the human form, have a tendency to appear unsettling (Wikipedia). This is a major obstacle to overcome if assistive robots are to be accepted by the patients for which they are designed.
However, with the increasing prevalence of robots in therapeutic roles, we must consider their design in order to best maximize utility for their target populations. According to the theory of the uncanny valley, robots, particularly those modeled after the human form, have a tendency to appear unsettling (Wikipedia). This is a major obstacle to overcome if assistive robots are to be accepted by the patients for which they are designed.
Frank becomes acquainted with his new robot assistant.