Life with Robots. What Every Worried Person Needs to Know

Ruth Aylett is a professor of computer science at Heriot-Watt University. For over 30 years, she has been involved in robotics research, specializing in the affective and social aspects, software, and human-computer interaction. Patricia A. Vargas is the director and... founder of the robotics laboratory at Heriot-Watt University, teaching computer science and robotics. She is also the editor of the journal Horizons of Evolutionary Robotics MIT Press. Noel Sharkey is an emeritus professor at the University of Sheffield, a member of the British Computer Society, a specialist in software development, co-director of the Foundation for Responsible Robotics, and chair of the International Committee on Robot Arms Control. There is a lot of noise about robots: some information seems frightening, while other parts seem utopian. Ruth Aylett and Patricia Vargas tell the story of human interaction with robots—from chatbots and robotic limb prosthetics to autonomous vehicles and swarms of many small robots. They demonstrate where robots surpass humans and where they cannot match our amazing talents. The authors explain how robots see, feel, hear, think, and learn; describe how robots can collaborate with us and with each other; and assess their capabilities as butlers, companions, and pets. Finally, they discuss the related ethical and social issues: killer robots, sex robots, and robots capable of taking your job. Life with Robots will help the reader view robots impartially: as man-made artifacts rather than objects of anxiety. From the book, you will learn: • Why can robots swim and fly, but have a hard time walking? • What features of robots have been borrowed from animals and insects? • Why do we have feelings for robots? • What human abilities are difficult for robots to replicate?