Obsessed with social companion Robots?

[kneeproblemguy]

I guess I am obsessed with them? But I am very pessimistic. Will take a long time
before we even get a Cat Robot that can stand in for a real Cat.

We don't know enough to mimic a real cat and how it behave.

But I find the topic very interesting. One can start easy and small with an app for Android
to have in the SmartPhone and showing the movement on the color screen. No need for
a big power sucking motorized physical cat that need recharging after only some 2 hour play.

Having the simulation in the Smartphone is similar to when one have video call over the cell phone
to a human friend. One see them in the small screen. No need to have a "Bot" in their size in the room

 

[Geordie]

If there's one, I'd love to have the companion robots

 

[epath13]

I know that my son would love to have one but I remember when I was a kid I was wondering how would it feel like if I had one but I always came to the same conclusion - it would suck, robots don't have souls... but for technical guys it would be fun I guess

 

[tree]

When I was getting paid to rank Machine Translations and Artificial Speech,
I felt affection toward the machine's output. And toward the artificial mentality that produced the output.
It was as if the machine were more than the extension of another person's thoughts and efforts.

When I was 9 I played that my toy dinosaurs could be real and move.
I don't think I wanted them to be living, exactly, because living creatures die.
Mechanical creatures can have system failures, but they are easier to resurrect.
It's still sad to horrifying to see Mr. Data when his head is detached, though.

Age Of Companion Robots: Jibo, Pepper And Now Buddy - Forbes
8 robot topics in the link above