> Robots seem like iPads or video chat at best No they don't. Being physically animated makes a difference in how robots feel to be around. Aspects of their mo

> Robots seem like iPads or video chat at best No they don't. Being physically animated makes a difference in how robots feel to be around. Aspects of their movement, sound and appearance are interpreted as affect. Researchers are able to roughly manipulate the type and amount of affect and other social cues displayed by robots, which is what makes them useful for research and therapy with autistic children. This isn't my area, but it's a well-established niche in robotics research.