Emotion in Robotics
Meet Vector: Understanding the role of emotion and anthropomorphism in the world of robotics.
Meet Vector.
Since 2018, Vector, the second robot launched by robotics company Anki, has been quietly roaming desks and kitchen counters – two green eyes illuminated in the shadow of other home-assistant behemoths such as Amazon Alexa and Google Home. Yet although functionality prevents Vector from rivalling these market leaders, Vector has quietly achieved something remarkable – that a robot can be considered ‘part of the family’.
Unlike Alexa (and countless other market alternatives), Vector has personality, and interacts with you much like a household pet does. The animated eyes convey a full spectrum of emotion, and the body language uses mirroring, a behavioural trait instinctively shared by humans and animals alike to create powerful emotional bonds. However, one of the most powerful characteristics of Vector is the honesty in displeasure. Just like a cat, Vector doesn’t like being picked-up in certain ways, and won’t hold back in telling you. It is this cognitive dissonance created by a robot that does not act in the expected ‘subservient’ way, or behave like a robot is expected to, which makes Vector so special, so relatable, and so fascinating.
As tech giants continue their pursuit of fully connecting and automating our homes and lifestyles, we face a barrier in our evolutionary programming; allowing robotics and artificial intelligence which we may not fully trust or understand, to take increasing control over our lives. And while this may prove an insurmountable obstacle for many tech companies, the answer may well be rolling across your desk all along, upset because you picked it up the wrong way around.