Saturday, May 24, 2014:Japanese company Hitachi has designed a robot, which can engage in a brief conversation with human beings without any prior given script. The Hitachi EMIEW2 is a roller skating robot, which has the ability to recognise when its jokes have not been funny enough. EMIEW2 is an acronym for Excellent Mobility and Interactive Existence 2.
The robot reportedly picks up keywords like ‘how many’, which is put into an algorithm that brings up a suitable response, quite similar to how a search engine functions. Engineers at Hitachi have apparently been able to program the robot so that it can understand things like a nod from a human being. The robot apparently uses this ability to recognise whether its jokes have been well received or not.
The robot was demonstrated in Tokyo, where it was asked the number of people working at Hitachi. The robot replied, “We have two swans,” which was followed by, “You got it? I’m kidding. We have 800 people working here.” It proved that while its jokes may not always be funny, the robot can easily comprehend the reactions of whoever it is interacting with. The initial swan response by the robot was confusing to the attendees, which it recognised and made up for. According to Hitachi, the robot is intended to be an office pet and it may even take the role of a receptionist.
