Dad, My Best Friend’s A Robot
QRIO (“Quest for cuRIOsity”, originally named Sony Dream Robot or SDR) is a hobbit-sized robot that was developed and tested but never sold. What is fascinating about this robot toy unlike its pal AIBO (Sony’s robotic dog that was recently “put to sleep“) is it has been tested with a control group of 18-24 month old toddlers at U.C. San Diego, wherein the toddlers has full access to the 2.5 foot robot and all his programmed bag or tricks (along with some additional commands to prompt it to wave, dance and interact with the kids).
The toddlers loved him. After only eleven sessions the testers noticed the toddlers were treating QRIO more like a peer than a toy. This became more evident when the testers added “touch” reactions to him (he giggled when the kids touched his head). This giggle response was a key discovery in this study. By having a positive response to their touch the kids felt a certain sense of bonding not previously witnessed.
They other time it was clear the kids viewed him more as a co-peer was when he ran out of juice and would lie down on the floor – some would try to cover him with a blanket, others would try and help him up as if he had fallen. Even though it seems commercial production of the QRIO robot has halted , it is definitely not the last time we’ll see him. This is something to keep in mind the next time you take your kids to the park – don’t be surprise if you catch QRIO2 playing with your kids on the jungle gyms.
Sited Links;
Scientific American | Could Robots Become Your Toddler’s New Best Friend?
YouTube | QRIO & Kids
PC Magazine | Sony Puts AIBO Dog To Sleep
Related Links;
Scientific American | A Robot in Every House
NPR | Toddlers and Robots Teach Scientists
Live Science | Key Found to Making Robots Friendly
