minimal threat to humans. A robot capable of
scooping up a soldier from a field like a forklift poses
obvious threats to the downed soldier. Without
considerable thought to scooping mechanism design,
the scoops could further injure the soldier.
Similarly, an elderly patient could be bruised or
seriously harmed by either a hard exoskeleton or
exposed rotating parts. Some designers have
addressed the issue of potential human injury by
encasing their creations in a thick skin of foam.
However, doing so introduces issues of reduced
cooling efficiency, increased bulk, increased
resistance to movement, and additional challenges of
disinfecting the surface.
So, as you work to advance the state of robotics
through higher-order AI functions such as navigation
and auto-calibration of sensors, it’s critical not to lose
sight of environmental threats. If your goal is to
develop robots that physically interact with humans,
consider how you would harden the robot against
the environment while presenting an interface that
won’t tear or bruise fragile skin and muscles.
If you think about it, human anatomy presents a
perfect archetype for a service robot — a tough,
weight bearing, and protective endoskeleton encased
in a soft, protective skin that can interface with
humans without causing them harm. Perhaps the
Terminator model isn’t far off after all. SV
Robot Psychologist:
A New Era in Mental Health Services
Two clinical psychologists associated with the Institute for Eclectic
Psychology in Holland (Jaap Hollander and Jeffrey Wijnberg) have
developed the first robot psychologist, named “MindMentor.”
MindMentor is an online computer program that helps people solve
problems and achieve goals. It has the unique quality (as compared
with other online psychological help systems) of requiring no live
human intervention and being completely automated. Said Hollander in
a recent interview: “What made this whole endeavor exciting was that
we suddenly saw a possibility to create an unlimited amount of
psychological help.”
Some psychologists have responded positively to their robot
colleague. Said David Van Nuys, Ph.D. (Emeritus Professor of
Psychology Sonoma State University): “At the end of the hour-long
session, I have to say my outlook and spirits were lifted considerably.
It was smart, supportive, fun, and funny, and helped me to focus in
on the central issue. I find the blend of artificial intelligence, NLP, and
other goal-directed therapeutic techniques effective.”
How effective is the robot psychologist? Hollander, interviewed
by a Dutch radio program, explained: “We did some research into the
effectiveness of this system in 2006. We had a much more primitive
version then, and with that we performed a test-run with 1,600
clients from all over the world. Our data show that MindMentor was
able to solve the problems for 47% in just one session. When people
were asked afterwards to what extent they had solved the problem
with the help of the robot psychologist, 100% meaning totally solved
and 0% meaning absolutely no change, the average result was 47%.
We believe that this is a success percentage that any real-life
psychologist would be satisfied with, especially given the fact that
this was after just one session.”
Check out MindMentor for yourself at www.mindmentor.com.
SERVO 05.2008 7