Does anyone else find this mildly disturbing?

They give them nicknames, worry when they signal for help and sometimes even treat them like a trusted pet.

A new study shows how deeply some Roomba owners become attached to the robotic vacuum and suggests there's a measure of public readiness to accept robots in the house — even flawed ones.

"They're more willing to work with a robot that does have issues because they really, really like it," said Beki Grinter, an associate professor at Georgia Tech's College of Computing. "It sort of begins to address more concerns: If we can design things that are somewhat emotionally engaging, it doesn't have to be as reliable."

People -- it is a vacuum. It isn't a pet. It isn't alive, and it doesn't have feelings. What is your problem?

More to the point -- what next? Are you willing to accept a less reliable car because of your emotional attachment to it? How about a less reliable computer, microwave, or television? We all know that wouldn't be the case. So why accept a less reliable vacuum because it is cute or different?

Posted by: Greg at 10:03 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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