New Lovotics Robot Has The Ability To 'Love' (VIDEO)

Hooman Samani and team of researchers at the National University of Singapore have developed a robot that is designed to "imitate the human ability to love," according to a video posted by Reuters.

But it doesn't flirt or blush. The robot, which looks like a fuzzy round ball of white fur, flashes different colors when it's falling in love. Microphones and cameras enable the machine to "recognize its user and hopefully build a long-term relationship," Reuters reported. Lovotics, according to the Technology Review, is Samani's name for the study of "human, robot love."

The Technology Review adds that the goal of Samani's research is "bi-directional love between a human and a robot -- realistic, genuine, biologically-inspired love."

Popular Science explains the psychology behind the hardwiring:

Just as in human relationships, this human-robot love is based on interactions. The robot can become bored, jealous, angry, affectionate, or flat-out happy, all based on how the human object of its desire interacts with it. Most of this interaction takes place through touching--another analog to affectionate human interaction. The robot isn’t so cuddly, but give it some puppy love and it will love you back.

As robots become increasingly life-like, people have developed closer and closer relationships with these machines.

A company recently created what it called the world's first "robot girlfriend," a "sex robot" named Roxxxy. And robot-human love is no science fiction tale: Several years ago, a man, "Zoltan," decided to marry his robot girlfriend "Alice."

Watch Lovotics fall in love in the video below: [via Reuters]

Comments

[cameowalkin]

03:05 PM on 09/05/2011

Robots don't "love." Imitation of behavior is emulation from humans, and programming from machines. It takes a fully sentient being with conscience, emotions, and a life, to be able to even choose to love. Machines don't qualify, under any interpretation. You cannot have a "relationship" with a machine. You may think you love a machine, but it doesn't "love" back, nor can it "relate" in the sense that a living being does (or doesn't).

[tonybfine]

12:57 AM on 07/29/2011

I was obsessed with Terminator - The Sarah Connor Chronicles for a while which has Summer Glau playing Cameron a very lovable robot (sorry cyborg - living tissue over a hyper-alloy combat chassis). The other characters were always dumping on her so I couldn't help but feel affection and sympathy. But at one point I got it clear as crystal that consciousness and all the trappings of emotions, feelings and so forth do not require a biological foundation. A lot of the insults they threw at Cameron did not hold water. I live alone now, with no real desire to try the man-woman thing anymore - getting too old for it - but I wish I lived in the future when it will be easy to have some pretty robot to talk to rather than just myself. Maybe one with a French accent. Not sure this fluff-ball would cut it.

[Candide33]

09:27 PM on 07/28/2011

There have been lots of toys like that.... they end up sitting on a shelf collecting dust after a very short time.

[orbs]

09:12 PM on 07/28/2011

Oh goodie....now we can give the herd that is the right wing the individual love slave they all crave.

Won't be long that before we stop seeing them in public as they will refuse to leave the confines of their robot love den.

[wilray]

08:14 PM on 07/28/2011

Yes, but does it have the ability to rub my feet, take out the trash, and pay the rent. Its love could give me such a thrill, but if its love can't pay my bills, I need money. Money don't get everything that's true, but what it don't get I can't use. I need money.

[ponyloco]

04:12 PM on 07/28/2011

i guess that makes it a robosexual...

and yes. i believe robosexuals should have the right to marry and serve openly in the military...

[DAE]

03:51 PM on 07/28/2011

I love my pet rock and he/she/it loves me!

[bookon]

02:38 PM on 07/28/2011

This thing can't "love" any more than a Robot that paints cars can be an "artist". The ignorance of technology these days is staggering considering our reliance on it.

[Brenda Starr]

11:09 AM on 07/28/2011

"Imitate the ability to love" -- hmm. that sounds almost human!

[pmm753951]

10:10 AM on 07/28/2011

well hello there Skynet! I can't wait for you to become self aware and enslave our race... -_- did we learn nothing from terminator?