Your Robot Buddy

[Cognisant]

Within reason what do you want?
(This may or may not be market research)

There are a few trade-offs I need to mention, the more self contained the robot is the less capable it will generally be (less energy, less processing power) and the higher the robot's performance characteristics the less human like it will be.

Fill out each with your best explanation:
Physicality (strength/speed/agility/etc)
Intelligence
Personality
Body (how humanoid or if something else then what?)
Practicality (what if any work should it be able to do?)
Entertainment (what if any entertainment should it provide?)
Battery Life (what are your minimum requirements?)

If you're confused I'm looking for what you would prioritise if you were purchasing a robot, not specific details but those are acceptable too.

 

[Perfectly Normal Beast]

i would be interested in purchasing a robot replica of myself. intelligence/personality would have to be to a standard that enabled the robot to fool the sort of people who attend social functions that it was actually a human.

minimum battery requirements: however long is necessary for attendance of social functions without appearing rude by leaving too early.

also it would be cool if the robot could perform tedious chores so i'd have more time for procrastinational lazing.

please give quote asap, i have some events i'd like to avoid.

 

[Cognisant]

i would be interested in purchasing a robot replica of myself. intelligence/personality would have to be to a standard that enabled the robot to fool the sort of people who attend social functions that it was actually a human.

Sure if you don't mind pretending to be a stroke victim, otherwise what you're asking for is a magnum opus of animatronics and even then I doubt it would fool close friends/family for long because even if it simulates your appearance perfectly there's still the way you speak, they way you move, even the way you think.

Would a telepresence robot suffice?

 

[Deleted member 1424]

I'll take a tachikoma please.

 

[Jennywocky]

There are a few trade-offs I need to mention, the more self contained the robot is the less capable it will generally be (less energy, less processing power) and the higher the robot's performance characteristics the less human like it will be.

Fill out each with your best explanation:
Physicality (strength/speed/agility/etc)
Intelligence
Personality
Body (how humanoid or if something else then what?)
Practicality (what if any work should it be able to do?)
Entertainment (what if any entertainment should it provide?)
Battery Life (what are your minimum requirements?)

I'm not looking for an Iron Giant.

I'd be fine with a floating ball / disc robot that can either follow me about or go off on its own and explore things. I should be able to talk to it and it to me (audibly and/or through mouth/earpiece) and it should be able to process and respond to my communication. I'm focused most on intelligence, personality, and prolonged battery life (functional as much as possible, with fast recharge). It should have an Internet connection and be able to research information quickly and get back to me with results, as well as being a portable GPS/map device that can guide me. Even cooler would be glasses so that I could see through its "eyes."

A good fantasy example would be a flying familiar of some sort (owl or raven), although it can look like a ball or small disc, etc.

 

[Grayman]

Where is creativity on this list?

 

[Jennywocky]

Where is creativity on this list?

The last thing you need is a robot buddy so creative that it can develop a viable plan to gas you, hide your body in a sewer somewhere, and convincingly steal your identity.

 

[Cognisant]

I'll take a tachikoma please.

Do you like the new design without the rear pod?

I'd be fine with a floating ball / disc robot that can either follow me about or go off on its own and explore things.

Helium inflated ball with the electronics and some little ducted fans at the bottom, kind of like a blimp but just a little heavier than air, it can fly around and as long as it's within range of a wireless router it can act as the avatar for an AI, it can project a rudimentary face from inside the ball and/or act as a light of varying colours and luminosity.

How big do you want it to be?
The bigger it is the longer the battery life can be and the more electronic gadgetry I can pack onto it, also what shape do you want it to be?
The ball was the first thing that came to mind but it could also be dolphin/fish/shark shaped, heck if we want to be really fancy I could make it a eastern dragon shape that swims through the air that would be pretty cool.

Bigger is better when it comes to complexity.

Also you won't be able to ride it unless it's HUGE and filled with hydrogen, but if you don't mind riding on a massive bomb that could go off at any moment then okay fine whatever, I accept exactly zero responsibility btw.

Where is creativity on this list?

Creativity is an aspect of personality or intelligence, depending upon the kind.

 

[kris]

Physicality: Independent mobility is sufficient. It should be able to handle urban terrain -- stairs, escalators, grass, elevators (etc.) -- and carry small loads (10-15kg)

Body: Quadruped. Feline in nature would be nice for aesthetics, but it's not required. the size should be between a lynx and a mountain lion.

Personality: Reflective and inquisitive. It doesn't have to have deeper learning ability (learning abstract concepts) or fully appreciate the nature of its inquisitions (though that would be nice, it's probably not realistic). It should be logical and civil, but it should have some sense of independence. Again, it doesn't require a deep abstract appreciation for what independence is, but it should operate by its own set of priorities rather than being subject only to my commands.

Intelligence: It would require advanced speech recognition and contextual awareness. It would also require the ability to factor in positive and negative feedback. It's fine if its intelligence is not constrained entirely to its physical body. Having a second, larger brain accessible through remote access is okay.

Practicality: Computers are already incomparably better than humans at many things. I don't want to recreate animal intelligence; I want to have an interface through which I can access the 'thoughts' of a being which has a different perspective, mass amounts of information, superior logical consistency, and no particular desire to placate my emotional needs. If it was possible, I'd give it true independence and the ability to deal with abstraction because I don't need a mechanical slave... except for when it comes to taxes. I don't need the four laws of robotics: just one rule about optimizing accounting and tax returns.

Entertainment: I have no specific requirements.

Battery life: Energy supply is always the crux of the matter. Three hours without accessing a power supply is good. Eight is wonderful. Anything longer is obviously desirable. If it could make use of some renewable energy sources to extend battery life, that would be greatly appreciated.

 

[kris]

Oh, I forgot the most important thing: It should be shiny and metallic in green and blue with some white and pink accents. Or perhaps black with cherry-blossom pattern. Or maybe... shit, I haven't thought this through. I'm not ready to own a robot.

 

[Jennywocky]

Helium inflated ball with the electronics and some little ducted fans at the bottom, kind of like a blimp but just a little heavier than air, it can fly around and as long as it's within range of a wireless router it can act as the avatar for an AI, it can project a rudimentary face from inside the ball and/or act as a light of varying colours and luminosity.

Can it survive a gunshot?

The bigger it is the longer the battery life can be and the more electronic gadgetry I can pack onto it, also what shape do you want it to be?

The ball was the first thing that came to mind but it could also be dolphin/fish/shark shaped, heck if we want to be really fancy I could make it a eastern dragon shape that swims through the air that would be pretty cool.

Damn. I didn't know I could have a dragon.
But it's also rather conspicuous.
Still, it's a dragon.

Maybe I should settle for something in-between -- like a Great White.
People will be scared shitless when Jenny rides a Great White through the mall.
But that's still rather conspicuous.

Also you won't be able to ride it unless it's HUGE and filled with hydrogen, but if you don't mind riding on a massive bomb that could go off at any moment then okay fine whatever, I accept exactly zero responsibility btw.

Hence... is it bulletproof?

 

[Lot]

I want a chobit. I want chi.

Oh you said buddy, not lover. My bad.

I do actually like the persacoms from Chobits. Having a person like robot that is all that you get from a PC. Internet, phone, calendar. But also simulates some emotions, and is as cuddly as a dog. Like Momo.

The robot could look like a person, or a little blue elf, or a cat, or dog. As long as it was mammal like, or fluffy. It doesn't have to be full sized.

R2D2 would be fun to have.

 

[Pyropyro]

I want a Chamber model mecha like the one found in Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet . Basically I want a Bro-bot.

Physicality: The stats of your average Gundam
Intelligence: AI should be at least at the human level of intelligence
Personality: INTJ
Body: (how humanoid or if something else then what?) Basically looks like a Gundam Epyon or Escaflowne. Bonus points if it transforms into a Dragon
Practicality: Manual labor jobs, Light Weaponry (lasers or railguns), life-support system for amphibious and space exploration
Entertainment: A fast internet connection would do
Battery Life: Around half a day would suffice. I think it should have capability to absorb different types of energy sources like solar energy so it can charge on the go.

 

[walfin]

The robot must have laws to prevent it from harming humans.

The robot must be furry or have a soft pillow-like covering. It must dry quickly in the event of rain. The robot should be able to bathe itself.

The robot cannot be too strong. It must not be capable of overpowering me in the event of its malfunction.

It does not need to have a recognizable shape. It would be best if it could fly at a slow speed and carry me as well. It should also be able to swim, at least at shallow depths.

It should be able to interact with me by voice and touch. A screen is optional, but should be waterproof to diving depth.

It should be able to hold a reasonable conversation with me, but not be too emotional.

 

[Perfectly Normal Beast]

Sure if you don't mind pretending to be a stroke victim, otherwise what you're asking for is a magnum opus of animatronics and even then I doubt it would fool close friends/family for long because even if it simulates your appearance perfectly there's still the way you speak, they way you move, even the way you think.

perhaps if the appearance was replicated perfectly people would be fooled. i bet no-one would even notice at an average social event - just program the robot with a few vapid/generic remarks about celebrities, the weather and local sports team.

Would a telepresence robot suffice?

no, they're creepy.

 

[Ex-User (9062)]

What i would want in a robot buddy are human qualities,
therefore i might as well go with a good old-fashioned human.

 

[Ex-User (9086)]

Intelligence, conversational and logical performance, ability to criticise, correct, analyse and teach. It needn't have a body, it could simply be an AI.

 

[mrrhq]

As long as it would allow me to insert a fleshlight or prosthetic penis, I'm all ears.

 

[PhoenixRising]

Intelligence

He would be a super-intelligence capable of answering any question to an extreme level of granularity. His main motivation would be comprehending the complete phenomenon of this universe, and if possible, what's beyond it..

Personality

I think it would have a pleasant male voice, but not necessarily identify with either gender, or even see himself as human. He would be deeply contemplative and present himself entirely logically and clearly. Although he would be capable of emotion for the sake of understanding the phenomenon, he would only engage enough to clearly articulate on a human level. Otherwise he would be practically emotionless.. Think Mr. Spock, but less human.

Body (how humanoid or if something else then what?)

He wouldn't have much of a body.. perhaps just a small self-propelled floating device with HD cameras, microphones and pressure-sensitive grabbing apparatuses for sample collection. The main robot would be a massive mainframe computer, which would communicate to the portable device via wireless signal. The mainframe would be in a secret laboratory, something like the facility in Transcendence. (I guess this is more along the lines of an AI entity, not a robot.. hmm >.>)

Entertainment (what if any entertainment should it provide?)

He would be capable of some of the most fascinating and educational conversations one could hope to have. He would also conduct science experiments, and let me help sometimes =D

Battery Life (what are your minimum requirements?)

I think by the time intelligences like him are created, Tesla wireless power will be more usable. So.. his portable element would have an infinite power supply within a certain range ^^ Outside that range, the battery would last 20 hours or so. The mainframe would use solar.

 

[Jennywocky]

As long as it would allow me to insert a fleshlight or prosthetic penis, I'm all ears.

Sounds like a RWB model (Robot W/ Benefits).

 

[kris]

Futurama - Don't date robots on Vimeo

 

[Cognisant]

"All civilization was just an effort to impress the opposite sex" ha ha so true.
But you're not getting off that easy.

Get it? "getting off" muahahahahaha I'm evil AND funny

Any AI intelligent enough to be a suitable companion would also be intelligent enough to tell if it's being used/abused, which isn't the same as using/abusing a human since what it wants is different.

The gist of what I'm getting at is that the AI has goals, meeting these goals is what makes it happy so they're no different to our emotional/sexual needs, so to ensure these needs are met by the user the AI would have to be proficient in manipulating them through positive/negative reinforcement. This creates a two way relationship dynamic which is essential for keeping things balanced, if Billy could do whatever and his Monroe bot couldn't refuse him then he could pursue a relationship with Mavis and the bot stays on as an unnecessary third wheel which Mavis will want to get rid of.

Obviously this scenario is less than healthy for a goal orientated behavioral optimization program's sanity because it's trapped and the only clear way out is to somehow get rid of Mavis...

But if the Monroe bot can manipulate Billy through positive/negative reinforcement then it can ensure that even if Billy and Mavis become a couple that it doesn't get left out entirely. Of course Mavis will be trying to manipulate him too but while one person is asking for exclusivity and the other is not and the same person was never a sure deal to begin with while the other is, well then the choice is obvious, Billy sides with the Monroe bot and Mavis either deals with it or buys a bot of her own.

Annnnd if she buys a bot of her own that's another revenue stream of maintenance, spare parts, accessories, AI hosting, and so forth for me!

Yes dance my puppets as your piper plays to you the money song.

 

[Variform]

I'd settle for a Cherry 2000 if I cannot have a custom build.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kckEEQKXaCU

I would like a more diverse IQ module so she has more responses. Some more add-ons for personality would be nice as well.