Rejection hurts, even if it's rejection from a robot.
Researchers at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand recently published a study that shows being rejected by a robot can make people feel down, or, in the case of one study participant, angry enough to tell the robot to "get f*cked."
The researchers had 147 volunteers come in and play Connect 4 with "Baxter," a "6-foot humanoid robot with a collection of integrated sensors and displays for safe interaction with humans."
When the Baxters of the world aren't playing Connect 4, they can be found helping humans in factories handle repetitive tasks, and they come equipped with cameras so they don't stumble into their flesh-and-blood partners. This particular Baxter was able to speak and had a screen for a face, programmed with facial expressions and even the ability to blink. Read more...
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