Nowadays it seems like robots can almost do anything from driving a car to playing soccer, but one thing they can’t do is, well, understand love. Well, at least until now.
Hooman Samani and researchers from the National University of Singapore claim to have developed a robot with the ability to “imitate the human ability to love.”
However, the robot doesn’t show its love in the typical ways (long walks on the beach, flowers, chocolate, diamond rings, etc.) but rather, it changes color when it falls in love.
How?
Through exposure to the user and touch. The white furball is equipped with microphones and cameras that allow the bot to “recognize its user and hopefully build a long-term relationship.”
Similar to a human-to-human relationship, the robot responds and falls in love based on how its partner treats it. For example, if the user is spending too much time with another human and neglecting the robot’s love, it might become jealous or bored. The majority of the relationship is based on human touch, something which is important to humans as well.
This little guy is part of Samani’s study of “human, robot love,” something that he calls “Lovotics.”
Remember, there are actually a group of people out there who prefer robot love to human love, like worshippers of the Real Dolls or Roxxxy robot. One man named Zoltan even wed his silicon robot bride “Alice” just last year.
Seriously, why bother with Match.com or E-Harmony when you can have a little ball of white furry love at your beck and call waiting for you at home with all the love you can imagine?
Oh right, because it’s a robot.
(Via Reuters)
