Humans don't view robots simply as machines, but rather feel an emotional connection with them, a study has found.
Researchers at Stanford University found that humans were "emotionally aroused" when asked to touch a humanoid robot in its "inaccessible" regions.
Ten human volunteers responded to commands from an Aldebaran Robotics Nao robot, such as "please touch my buttocks." A sensor worn on the hand of the participants measured skin conductance, revealing that physiological and emotional arousal took place when such tasks were performed.
"Our work shows that robots are a new form of media that is particularly powerful," said Stanford University's Jamy Li . "It shows that people respond to robots in a primitive, social way.
"Social conventions regarding touching someone else's private parts apply to a robot's body parts as well. This research has implications for both robot design and theory of artificial systems."
The study opens up the possibility of robots offering emotional support, as well as sexual relations between humans and machines.
"Social robots can elicit tactile responses in human physiology, a result that signals the power of robots, and should caution mechanical and interaction designers about positive and negative effects of human-robot interactions," the researchers conclude.
"In future, robots with human forms may assist us in personal and public spaces. What kinds of relationships will people develop with these robots? While they are clearly not human, social conventions such as body accessibility may apply to robots as well."
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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