Posted on 09/16/2013 7:43:17 AM PDT by BenLurkin
In the centuries-old best friendship between dogkind and humankind, humans are apparently easily replaced with robots. Seemingly loyal canines are totally willing to interact with cold, hard machines, according to a new study in Animal Cognition, gazing lovingly at their robot faces and finding hidden foodstuffs that the robot pointed to.....
The study investigated whether or not dogs would be willing to interact with an unfamiliar robot. It found that the dogs would interact with a cyborg--if the robot seemed like a social being, as evidence by its ability to talk to the dog and its owner.
(Excerpt) Read more at popsci.com ...
Dogsitting machines?
They’ll h... just about anything.
“They were better at finding hidden food in the room when the social robot pointed to it, rather than the asocial one, though neither held a candle to the results when a human pointed to the food.”
Ultimately man is still dog’s best friend. The robots are being over hyped.
I wonder if cats react similarly, that would be an interesting study.
It does arouse the curiosity.
If there’s food involved, the cat will be interested.
It’s not nice to try to fool dogs....grrrrrr.
Dog trickery ping!
less chance of fleas
Well there goes the terminator detection system.
I worked with actuaries. This is very believable.
I’ve been reading a good book by Jean Donaldson called The Culture Clash. Really good. She says we really shouldn’t put human emotions on dogs. They are dogs. Love them for what they are, not what you wish they were. They are very selfish animals, which is fine. They will do anything for food.
They’re not ‘socializing.’
Hype sells articles but does not promote truth.
The dog has learned that this dumb thing gives it food. It is not ‘socializing.’
Will we see robot dogsitters one day? Probably yes, but then what good is it to have a dog if you have a metal thing drag it out for a walk?
Living creatures interact with living creatures.
Please, let’s never ever have robot ‘babysitters.’
And that’s why they cry when their owner goes away, mope, and refuse to eat.
Well, duh, the robot knows where the food is.
LOL! Good one.
/johnny
Yep, they're a robotic lot, actuaries.
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