Experiencing Robotic Life: Human-Robot Interaction and Perception

Selected 100 classic TED talks, lasting 8-15 minutes, covering innovation, growth, and future trends. Provides MP3 streaming, downloads, and English transcripts to help improve listening and speaking skills. Ignite your learning passion through the power of ideas! Here is this issue's collection of 【TED】100 classic talk listening materials. Consistent practice will make your English closer to real life!

You only get one chance to make a first impression, and that's true whether you're a robot or a person. The first time I met one of these robots was at a place called Willa Garage in 2008. When I visited, my host walked me into the building and we met this little guy. He rolled into the hallway, came up to me, sat there, stared blankly past me, did nothing for a while, rapidly spun his head 180 degrees, and then ran away. Not a great first impression. What I learned about robots that day is that they kind of do their own thing and aren't fully aware of us. As we experiment with possible robot futures, we actually learn a lot more about ourselves than just these machines. That day, I realized I had pretty high expectations for this little dude.

He was expected to navigate both the physical and social world. He's in my space—a personal robot. Why didn't it understand me? My host explained that the robot was trying to get from point A to point B and I was an obstacle. So it replanned its path, which wasn't very efficient. If the robot had realized I was a person willing to move, it could have been more efficient. Understanding human affordances is crucial for efficiency.

We tend to think robots are futuristic, but they're here now. These two robots in my home vacuum and mow the lawn daily, probably better than I would. One even cares for my cat, cleaning the litter box each time. While we call these products—robot vacuum, lawn mower, litter box—many robots hide in plain sight as dishwashers, thermostats, etc. They sense, plan, and act, extending our capabilities even if they don't look like sci-fi robots.

Driving a car also makes us robot operators. Modern cars have power steering, automatic braking, adaptive cruise control—partial autonomy that enhances safety. Driving feels seamless because the vehicle becomes an extension of ourselves. The same applies to operating other robots.

At Willa Garage, remote collaboration posed challenges. My coworker Dallas in Indiana appeared as a voice in a box. Using a mobile robot, he could roll into meetings, blocking doorways until questions were answered, enhancing engagement. People start treating robots as extensions of presence, respecting their 'personal space.' Robot height affects human perception: taller robots make operators appear more persuasive and credible. Human psychology lags behind technology; design must consider human dimensions like personality and culture, not just tech.

Operating autonomous systems requires responsibility. Video game-like interfaces can mislead users; real consequences exist for actions. Experiments with robots like Tweenbot highlight the importance of collaboration and human kindness. Robots extend ourselves, evoke empathy, and help us understand human and machine interactions. Diverse perspectives—artists, designers, policymakers, psychologists—are essential to invent the future we want to live in. By exploring robotic futures, we ultimately learn more about ourselves. Thank you.