In the age of autonomous robots, Luis Sentis defines what comes next. The University of Texas-Austin engineering professor spent the past year leading a 20-member team comprised of experts from the fields of engineering, communications, architecture and more to investigate how self-moving robots interact with humans — and, yet more importantly, how people react to them. The work could ultimately set the standards for how robots share our spaces.
“The questions that have bothered me as an engineer over the years is that as engineers we tend to fall in love with some kind of machine,” he tells Quartz, “and less with the impact in society.”
Sentis’ hope is that their data will inform how autonomous robots are designed and deployed with people in mind. One early adopter of autonomous robotics are already eager for the findings: Hospitals, which use robo-machines to transport medications, linens, food and more in and out of medical wings. Sentis says the data can be used to develop safety, behavior and communication for these robotic systems. And codifying standards for how robots interact productively with us could further strengthen the nascent industry.
The research’s current experiment is being conducted on UT Austin’s campus. There, students interacted with—and modeled—two of Boston Dynamics’ Spot four-legged robots after dogs– in an indoor facility. Subjects are told the robots will be in the room, but not what they will do. The researchers are interested in how they react.
When the robots arrive and approach a participating student, experimenters will measure the participant’s stress. What happens to their cortisol levels? Are they starting to sweat less or more? The researchers also survey subjects before and after meeting the robot, asking questions about what made them feel comfortable, or what a good use of robots might look like in their lives. Eventually, the team plans to take the robots to campus, where they will lead tours to students, providing even richer data for analysis.
So far, the team has found that people generally view robots as a neutral good. And students are excited about what the technology enables, proposing ideas like nighttime robots that could be safe escorts around campus. It’s the suggestions emerging in this latest leg of research, Sentis adds, that help shed light on where we see robots in our lives, especially in situations closely related to fear or anxiety. The team plans to dig deeper and eventually map where robots intersect with human stress. Perhaps then we are one step closer to a peaceful coexistence.
This story is part of Quartz’s Innovators List 2023a series that highlights the people who are deploying bold technologies and reimagining the way we do business for good around the world. Get the full list here.
