MIT’s Huggable Robot Teddy Enhances Human Relationships

December 18, 2008 | Source: PhysOrg.com

MIT’s companion robot called “the Huggable” is designed to enhance human relationships by functioning as a visual tool for long-distance communication.

Grandparents who want to talk to young grandchildren, teachers instructing students, or healthcare providers communicating with patients could all enrich their interactions using the robot.

The Huggable connects to a Web interface that enables the remote person to not only view the person on the other end through the bear’s eyes, but also view the robot’s behaviors through streaming audio and video. The remote person can also control the robot using several features.

A grandparent, for instance, can enter text for the robot to speak via speech synthesis or command the robot to make various sounds, such as giggling. The grandparent can then watch the child’s facial reaction on the screen and listen to their response, as well as watch a 3D virtual model of the robot and an animated cartoon that indicates gestures, such as when the robot is being bounced or rocked.