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In this course, you will learn:
- There are a few different methods to define what robots and bots are.
- People's perceptions of robots and bots as communicative, social, and even emotional entities.
- Is it necessary for robots and bots to communicate in human-like ways in order to be understood?
- The potential of non-humanoid robots in terms of shape, behaviour, and communication
Syllabus:
1: Robots, bots and communication
- How robots are presented in popular culture and the media
- Ways to define a robot
- Why people build (or don't build) humanoid or humanlike robots
- The difference between robots and bots
2: Bots and socialbots
- What it's like to interact with some bots
- How and why bots are designed to be humanlike in order to be 'socialbots'
- Broader conceptions of bots and their activities in digital spaces
- Socialbots and bots as they become more specifically embodied
3: Robots in the home
- The potential of more sophisticated robots designed to act as personal assistants
- Robots that do more practical work around the home
- Assistive and care robots, designed to help older adults and people with disabilities of all ages
- Telepresence robots that allow people to interact with one another at a distance in more flexible and active ways than teleconferencing technologies such as Skype or Facetime
4: Robots at work and on the road
- Remote operations as an extension of telepresence
- Robots at work more generally and the question of whether your job might be at risk
- The introduction of self-driving and semi-autonomous vehicles onto road systems also populated with human drivers, cyclists and pedestrians
- How ethics can be built into robots and the importance of ethics for designers and manufacturers of robotic technologies
