Augmented Emotion and its Remote Embodiment: The Importance of Design from Fiction to Reality

Human-Animal Teams as an Analog for Future Human-Robot Teams: Influencing Design and Fostering Trust

“…A number of technical advancements have been made in the integration of human-like expression and perception of emotions (e.g., Kismet; Breazeal, 2000). However, there is still a need for the advancement of emotion-based characteristics (e.g., physical features, communication-based behaviors, and physical behaviors or actions) as we continue toward team-based interactions (see also Schaefer, Cook, Adams, Bell, Sanders, & Hancock, 2012a). However, integrating human-like social and emotional characteristics is a difficult task, while not all advancements that incorporate emotional functions into robotic design need to, or even should, mirror human-like emotions, especially in the near-term development cycle.…”

“…The concept of augmented emotion within human-robot interaction is a recent theoretical construct that is only now beginning to be explored. Schaefer et al (2012a) proposed that robots may provide an ideal mechanism for the concept of remote embodiment of emotions through "downloading emotions" (i.e., use robotic technology to provide more salient emotional cues of a person's emotions) or "emotional displacement" (i.e., fulfill an emotional void). Therapy through the use of robotic dolls is thought to improve mental functioning through activating rational thinking by imagining caring for the doll as one would a child (Yoshitaka, Masayoshi, Taro, Masaru, & Tsuyoshi, 2012).…”

The Future of Robotic Design

“…For example, in the Japanese television program Robot Detective (Ishinomori, 1973), the robotic character's eyes are yellow when in a calm emotional state, red when displaying anger, and blue when expressing sadness. A more in-depth examination of emotive design features (Schaefer et al, 2012) has generated a best-practices approach for integrating emotional dynamics into robot design.…”