Unless Your Dog Can Teach Math, Robots May Become Kids’ Favourite Companions in the Future
Maybe it’s just an American Gen X thing, but what shapes my conception of robots in the home is the TV cartoon of the 1970s, “The Jetsons.” Rosie the Robot was amazing. She helped the family with housekeeping, cooking and keeping that dog, Astro, out of trouble during his daily hijinx. Boy, as a mother of three young children now, I could really use a Rosie the robot at my house!
Interestingly enough, kids imagine a whole different level of companionship from a robot. About 350 kids from six countries (Australia, France, Germany, South Africa, the UK and the US) were asked, “What would happen if robots were a part of your everyday life?” Only one in four of them had a “Rosie” in mind who would help with household chores.
Although there were some answers that revolved around game playing, the most notable responses were that robots would help them with homework. And… do a better job at helping than parents because not only could they help with spelling and math mistakes, but they could provide constructive criticism as non-judgmental friends without making kids feel self-conscious or embarrassed. Kids also felt that robots could help them think more critically, so instead of just being a vehicle of knowledge content, they would be an interactive tool in helping kids explore, create and collaborate.
To read the whole story: http://ow.ly/8Q9iL
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