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More research needed on the interaction between humans, animals, and robots

An MIT robotics researcher says science is only beginning to scratch the surface when it comes to understanding the interaction between humans, animals, and robots. 

Dr. Kate Darling has found that humans tend to treat certain robots with empathy, especially if the machine has a name and is interactive, but she says a lot more research is needed to find out how humans and animals interact with artificial intelligence, such as the dairy industry, where the popularity robotic milking is growing. Darling says, “It’s an untouched area in part because it requires interdisciplinarity of fields. You need to understand both the technology and the animals, and the people and so it’s kind of a new area.”

Darling says there has been research into how robots help children learn and help humans with dementia manage with less medication, but little is known about interaction in business and on the farm, including if humans are utilizing the tools for the right tasks. “There are a lot of people who work in human-robot interaction, and so we’re starting to see the combination of psychology and technologists working together. That’s a big and growing field.”

Darling says understanding these interactions is becoming more important as humans, animals, and robots continue to work in shared spaces. From the Dairy Strong Conference in Madison,

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