Category: Podcast

The Rise And Fall of ATR

We discuss the conception, rise and fall of ATR.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Spotify | Amazon Music | iHeartRadio | TuneIn | Deezer | RSS

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.

ISSN 2703-4054

Links:

Humans and/or Robots at ATR

We talk about the people at ATR and the robots they created.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Spotify | Amazon Music | iHeartRadio | TuneIn | Deezer | RSS

The Advanced Telecommunication Research Institute International in Japan is a major contributor to Human-Robot Interaction. I interview Takayuki Kanda, Michita Imai and Dylan F. Glas about their work on robots at ATR. How was Robovie developed and what is the goal of the Erika android? In two episodes we will have a closer look at the people working at ATR and the robots they created. We will also discuss what it means to work for a research lab like ATR in Japan.

ISSN 2703-4054

Supporter:

Furhat is a social robot that communicates with us humans as we do with each other – by speaking, listening, showing emotions and maintaining eye contact. Build interactions and experiences unlike any other with the world’s most advanced social robotics platform. Follow the link in the description to find out more about the Furhat Robotics.

Links:

Ask your librarian

In this episode we discuss the evolving landscape of academic publishing.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Spotify | Amazon Music | iHeartRadio | TuneIn | Deezer | RSS

Publishing scientific papers and books is a difficult task. The arrival of the internet has the potential to dramatically change the business models, but also the review and publishing process. I discussed the changing world of publishing with Anton Angelo, Data Librarian at the University of Canterbury. We discussed Open Access, Print-on-Demand and the changing roles of libraries. We even spotted some dangerous predators in the publishing jungle. And in case of any trouble, always ask you librarian!

ISSN 2703-4054

Conventional Journals for HRI:

Open Access Journals for HRI:

  • Paladyn – Journal of Behavioral Robotics

Problematic Open Access Journals for HRI:

Sex Robots

It is not a question if sex robots will become available but only when.

It is not a question if sex robots will become available but only when. Many companies are working on their development with moderate success. While empirical research on the topic is rare, the ethical implications of sex robots have been discussed passionately. Some want to ban them before they even enter the market while others defend the rights of people to own sex toys. For this episode I interviewed David Levy, Robert Sparrow and Eleanor Hancock.

Transcript

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

HRI-Podcast-Episode-009-Sex-Robots-Transcript

ISSN 2703-4054

Important links:

The ACE Controversy: Sex, Robots, and Politics

This episode tells the story of the infamous ACE2018 conference.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Spotify | Amazon Music | iHeartRadio | TuneIn | Deezer | RSS

If these are not enough publicity buzz words, then I do not know what is. In this episode we will look at the epic events around the Advances in Computer Entertainment (ACE 2018) conference and the associated Love And Sex With Robots Congress. The conferences had to be cancelled following a backlash from academics around the conferences’ organisation and in particular in response to the invitation of Steve Bannon as a keynote speaker to the ACE conference. I interviewed Adrian Cheok, David Levy and Yorim Chisik about the drama that unfolded last year. Adrian is now running for office in the Australian elections for the right wing Fraser Anning’s Conservative National Party.

ISSN 2703-4054

Important links:

Advise for the young at heart

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Spotify | Amazon Music | iHeartRadio | TuneIn | Deezer | RSS

Completing a PhD is a major accomplishment but it is only the start of an academic career. A study by The Royal Society found that only 3.5% of students that complete a PhD secure a permanent research position at a university. Of those lucky few, only 12% (or 0.45% of the total) make it to professor level. Those lucky few that make it must surely have some wisdom to share. I asked academics in HRI what advice they would give their younger selves. While talking to Rob Sparrow, Alan Wagner, Mari Velonaki, Guy Hoffman, Kimmo Vanni, Amit Kumar Pandey, and Franziska Kirstein about their careers certain patterns emerged. Perseverance, focus, patience and luck are amongst the factors that influenced their academic careers.

ISSN 2703-4054

Relevant links:

Art in Human-Robot Interaction

What and how does art contribute to HRI?

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Spotify | Amazon Music | iHeartRadio | TuneIn | Deezer | RSS

Many disciplines contribute to the success of human-robot interaction. Computer scientists and psychologist are amongst the most frequent contributors, but their contributions are not necessarily the most interesting ones. Today we are going to discuss what and how art can contribute to human-robot interaction. Robots have been used in the theater, exhibitions, comics and music, to name just a few. Getting them into the limelight does take various skills. Team work is often a challenge, but collaborating across disciplines adds a layer of complexity to the dynamics. I talked with Mari Velonaki, Guy Hoffman, and David St-Onge about art and its relationship to HRI.

Transcript

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

HRI-Podcast-Episode-006-Human-Robot-Interaction-Art-Transcript

ISSN 2703-4054

Relevant links:

Robots and Racism

Why are robots subject to racial and gender bias?

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Spotify | Amazon Music | iHeartRadio | TuneIn | Deezer | RSS

Racism is a major problem in our society and it is an issue from which the HRI community cannot shy away from. Several studies showed that people transfer their racial biases onto robots. In this episode we will talk about these difficult topics of racism and sexism. My guest are Kumar Yogeeswaran, Friederike Eyssel and Megan Strait. They all work on racism among humans and towards robots. Besides identifying the biases we also talk about how and if robots might be able to help reducing them.

Transcript

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

HRI-Podcast-Episode-005-Robots-And-Racism-Transcript

ISSN 2703-4054

Relevant links

Addendum

In an earlier version of this post the work of Megan Strait on racism among humans and towards robots was described as “extensive”. Upon Megan’s request the qualifier “extensive” was removed.

Megan Strait would like to also note that:

I do not endorse the idea of using robots to reduce bias, as I do not find the premise to respect existing understanding and literature. If racism were readily solvable via intergroup exposure, there would not be such movement on “AI ethics” as is readily apparent in the discourse of mainstream media. With respect to combatting racism, my perspective is that robots have potential value in the role they could play in moderating of social dynamics (see, for example, Campos, Martinho, & Paiva 2018, Hoffman, Zuckerman, Hirschberger, & Shani-Sherman 2015, and Martelaro, Jung, & Hinds 2015). Applications in this manner have particular potential to address social inequities (e.g., the placement of responsibility largely on people of color to combat manifestations of racism). But that does not specifically serve toward attenuating individual and institutional bias. 

Being a PHD student in HRI

A discussion about being a PhD student in the field of HRI and what happens afterwards.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Spotify | Amazon Music | iHeartRadio | TuneIn | Deezer | RSS

Most research at universities is done by PhD students. They are an essential part in the progress of science. The relationship between a PhD student and his or her supervisor is not unlike a marriage as Jorge Cham pointed out. It lasts for a couple of years, starts with a proposal, and culminates in a ceremony where you walk down the aisle dressed in a gown. Naïve young people enter, and around 50% end up in bitter remorse. In today’s special episode I talk to three of my former PhD students, Omar Mubin, Eduardo Sandoval, and Jakub Zlotowski, whom I met at a conference in Sydney. We talk about live during and after a PhD.

ISSN 2703-4054

Relevant Links

Aldebaran Or How To Sell A Robot

Developing and selling a social robot is challenging and many companies have failed.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Spotify | Amazon Music | iHeartRadio | TuneIn | Deezer | RSS

The business of creating and selling social robots is risky. Many companies have tried to sell social robots and only few have succeeded to sustain their business over a longer period of time. Aldebaran, or Softbank Robotics, as it is known today, is one of the biggest companies selling social robots to human-robot interaction researchers. Their Nao and Pepper robots are being widely used in the research community. I had the chance to talk with Amit Kumar Pandey, the head principal scientist at Softbank Robotics and Franziska Kirstein from Blue Ocean Robotics about how they develop robots.

ISSN 2703-4054

Relevant Links: