Author: bartneck

Dr. Christoph Bartneck is a professor in the Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering at the University of Canterbury. He has a background in Industrial Design and Human-Computer Interaction, and his projects and studies have been published in leading journals, newspapers, and conferences. His interests lie in the fields of Human-Computer Interaction, Science and Technology Studies, and Visual Design. More specifically, he focuses on the effect of anthropomorphism on human-robot interaction. As a secondary research interest he works on projects in the area of sports technology and the critical review on scientific processes and policies. In the field of Design Christoph investigates the history of product design, tessellations and photography.

The Science Beyond the Horizon

How do predatory conferences work?

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Predatory conferences have become a global problem that plagues the scientific community. The Science Horizon Conferences claims to organize ten conference in 2022 in Europe, including the International Conference and Expo on Robotics & Artificial Intelligence. In this podcast episode I investigate this conference and its organizers Shaik Riyaz and Devasai Udarapu. My nonsensical abstract submission passed their peer review process and was accepted for a keynote presentation. I confronted Devasai with this complete lack of academic rigor in an interview. Anton Angelo and David Kaye share their view on this conference, predatory conferences in general and what impact they have on the scientific endeavour.

UPDTAE: It seems that attending a flaky conference is rather depressing.

Transcript

The transcript of the episode is available as a PDF. You can also follow the episode with subtitles through Descript.

HRI-Podcast-Episode-018-The-Science-Beyond-The-Horizon-Transript

ISSN 2703-4054

Important Links

International Conference and Expo on Robotics & Artificial Intelligence
The role of social robots in a post Covid-19 society – Manuscript and acceptance letter
Science Horizon Conferences Company Network
Flaky Academic Conferences

The Laws Of Robotics

We discuss the three laws of robotics by Isaac Asimov.

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In our previous podcast episode The Good Robot we discussed the difficulty of enabling robots to act ethically. When talking to journalists or policy makers about machine ethics you frequently get the response, well, Issac Asimov already solved that problem with his three laws of robotics. These laws are so seductively simple that most will intuitively understand them. In this episode of the Human-Robot Interaction podcast, Sean Welsh and I will have a close look at these laws and try to understand why barely anybody has ever tried to use them in their robot.

Transcript

The transcript of the episode is available as a PDF. You can also follow the episode with subtitles through Descript.

HRI-Podcast-Episode-017-The-Laws-Of-Robotics-Transcript

ISSN 2703-4054

Important Links:

AI Armageddon and the Three Laws of Robotics by Lee McCauley
Why the three laws of robotics do not work by Chris Stokes
The Unacceptability of Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics as a Basis for Machine Ethics by Susan Leigh Anderson

There is method to the madness

I talked about HRI methods with Tony Belpaeme.

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The success of Human Robot Interaction depends on utilizing our understanding of the interaction between humans and robots in the development of new technology. These new technologies then need to be rigorously tested to proof their benefit. In other words, it is time for an HRI study. In this episode we will discuss some of the major decision you need to make when designing a study with Tony Belpaeme who recently published a book chapter entitled “Advice to new human-robot interaction researchers”. Choose wisely, for while the true study will bring you knowledge, the false study will take it from you.

Transcript

The transcript of the episode is available as a PDF. You can also follow the episode with subtitles through Descript.

HRI-Podcast-Episode-016-There-Is-Method-To-The-Madness-Transcript

ISSN 2703-4054

Important Links:

Why do all social robots fail in the market?

The resurrection of dead robots.

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While working on our first Human-Robot Interaction textbook, we noticed that almost all the robots mentioned in the book had failed in the market. Our book had become an obituary. I talked with Lundy Lewis, Frederic Kaplan, Amro Najjar, Robert Cheek and Tomas Concha (NTT Disruption) about why almost all social robots failed in the market. The Aibo and Jibo robots are examples of robots that were brought to the market, failed and were resurrected from the dead. One in fame and one in shame.

Transcript

The transcript of the episode is available as a PDF. You can also follow the episode with subtitles through Descript.

HRI-Podcast-Episode-015-Why-Do-All-Social-Robots-Fail-In-The-Market-Transcript

ISSN 2703-4054

Important Links:

Ethics in Robotics And AI

Download our new book.

Our new book entitled An Introduction to Ethics in Robotics and AI is now available under the Open Access policy of Springer. You can download the PDF directly or flip through the pages below.

An-Introduction-To-Ethics-In-Robotics-And-AI

Artificial Artificial Intelligence

Did Zach pass the Turing test?

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Alan Turing devised the Imitation Game as a test the intelligence of machines. This test is also used in human-robot interaction. But what happens if not a computer is trying to convince you that it is a human, but a human is trying to deceive you in thinking he is an artificial intelligence? In this episode we will discuss the Turing Test, the Zach super computer and what it means to think. I interviewed Diane Proudfoot and David Farrier about the Terrible Foundation, Turing Test and Artificial Intelligence.

The transcript of the episode is available as a PDF. You can also follow the episode with subtitles through Descript.

HRI-Podcast-Episode-014-Artificial-Artificial-Intelligence-Transcript

ISSN 2703-4054

Important Links:

Pre-Order Discounts

Promotional discounts available.

Our book is almost ready for shipping and you can order the book at Cambridge University Press. There are two promotional discounts available. There is a 30% discount available until April 22nd with the code 99451 during checkout. A second code worth 20% is available until December 2020 with the code HRI2020. Please consider ordering the book to support the struggling publishing business.

9781108735407_Human-Robot-Interaction_flyer

The Good Robot

How can a robot act ethically?

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Humans have asked themselves since the beginning of time “What is good”? While we have some consensus and even laws, teaching a robot to act ethically remains a delicate problem. It certainly requires more than three laws. How can a robot know what to do while operating in an uncertain world? I interviewed Sean Welsh on Ethics in Human-Robot Interaction.

Transcript

The transcript of the episode is available as a PDF. You can also follow the episode with subtitles through Descript.

HRI-Podcast-Episode-013-The-Good-Robot-Transcript

ISSN 2703-4054

Kindle Edition Available

The Kindle Edition is now available.

The Kindle Edition of our book Human-Robot Interaction is now available. The printed edition is slightly delayed due to logistical problems in Asia. There will be printed copies available during the HRI conference.

The Rise And Fall of ATR

We discuss the conception, rise and fall of ATR.

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The Advanced Telecommunication Institute International (ATR) in Japan is a major player in the field of human-robot interaction. Its early history was described by many who worked there as a paradise. After many changes to its funding and subsequently to its organization it remains a pretty strong research organization, but it is only a shadow of its early glory. Many researchers left this highly volatile and competitive environment. In this episode of the Human-Robot Interaction Podcast we will try to understand what the changes of a research organization means for its employees. I interview Takayuki Kanda, Michita Imai and Dylan F. Glas about their work at ATR and their lives afterwards.