Source phys.org
A Future with Robots as companions could be closer than you Think
“Embodiment”—the live presence of a robot—is the key difference between the assistive technology Matarić has developed and the multiple screens that encompass our current machine-assisted lives. Matarić’s research has shown that even just the presence of humanlike robots—though not so human as to take us into the “uncanny valley”—can be enough to motivate the elderly to exercise in a way they wouldn’t with screen prompts, or they can be a conversation piece that allows children with autism to better relate to their peers.