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Children Beating Up Robot Inspires New Escape Maneuver System
- pmalynin 11y agoI submitted this a year ago, and it didn't gain any attention. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10024235 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10024235
- qzxvwt 11y agoToday rbobby submitted a video [1] explaining a new(ish?) "polymagnet" technology which earned 13 points, then 4 hours later iheredia posted the same topic [2] which currently has 331 points. It must be a bit of timing and titling nuances mixed with luck... so yeah, here's to hoping HN points never become indicative of any sort of clout. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11323758 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11323758 [2] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11324880 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11324880
- dpflan 11y ago"Literally tiny humans: the robot is programmed to run away from people who are below a certain height and escape in the direction of taller people." It's also interesting that the children perceive the robot to be more human-like than machine-line, yet still they abuse it. Perhaps it is the simplicity of its behavior that makes is so easily abusable. If the robot were able to interact in a more complex way, perhaps like a child or an adult, asking questions or talking about other topics rather than having a single-minded goal of moving from A to B, the children would be slower to adopt abusive behavior.
- jacquesm 11y agoKids will do stuff like this to other kids as well. I think if the robot were larger (adult sized) they'd leave it alone.
- dpflan 11y agoAgreed, kids will pick on other kids. Seems like the team behind this has some key variables to change to gather more insight. If there were two robots and one robot joined the kids in teasing, blocking and abusing the other robot, would the kids respect that traitorous robot more?
- kevin_thibedeau 11y agoI think they need to watch "Short Circuit 2" for some inspiration.
- jacquesm 11y agoEither that or 'Lord of the Flies'.
- slavik81 11y agoI'd guess the children are just testing its limits. They do that with everything. It's how they learn about the world.
- habitue 11y agoMy suggestion, instead of the elaborate avoidance system, is to make the robot act pitiful when it detects it is being abused. Whimpering, frowning, crying etc. You gotta make it engage those deep-seated emotion detectors. That's the difference between the furby and the patrol robot.
- rz2k 11y agoI suspect that complaints and indications of suffering exacerbate the 'othering' problems. To me it's entirely conceivable that when people were torturing for our government 10 years ago, their conscience was less engaged if their victims were already strapped to a table and looked pathetic before they waterboarded them. I think a non-dangerous bright flash of light or clap of loud noise would might act like an interrupt to their behavior before any rational or humanity-based tactics could be employed effectively.
- JoeAltmaier 11y agoWe all know that avoidance behaviors (running to mommy) don't work for long with bullies. They just wait until mommy isn't around. Likewise 'acting pitiful' - whining and crying. That's what bullies are looking for! Its the payoff. No, the way to avoid bullying is to stand up for yourself. Pepper spray, loud noises, flashing lights would all be more effective.