Robot "feeling"

[petrushkagoogol]

A robot cannot be ascribed to be a creature with emotions. (as of now).

But I think that using a task-reward architecture, feeling can be simulated in a robot.

 

Scenario

--------

 

Consider a room cleaning robot.

Here is the flow diagram -

 

bool Scan_for_dirt = scan_for_dirt_status (using imaging sensors)

 

do

 

if (found)

   

    give audio feedback "Hmmm - It seems that there is still work to be done...."

    Continue Cleaning

Else

    Flash lights and give audio feedback "Wow - The room is clean Sir...."

    Stop

 

while (true)

 

Using feedback - audio and visual a robot can not only simulate happiness but create the same in the owner.

Is this then not an example of a robot entering the human emotion space ? 

 

 

[Maine farmer]

Emotions are far more complex than simple positive feedback.  The robot would need a whole set of programming to establish that the feedback "feels" good or bad.  There are a whole lot of physiological processes involved in emotion .http://www.alive.com/health/emotions-and-physiology/