Catie Cuan

Because it's not a question for me of whether or not the robots are coming.

It's simply a question of how quickly and what are those robots going to look like when they do show up?

We are arguably the first generation at mass scale to be interacting with robots.

That is a huge, impactful difference.

We know that movement is incredibly impactful to us.

We've created all of these adaptations to very quickly experience and observe emotion and then to categorize, is this safe?

Is this unsafe?

Is this welcoming?

You know, what does it mean?

And this is why when people talk about nonverbal communication, you can express so much through simply the way that your body moves.

Okay, why is that relevant for robots?

Because robots will often perform motions that are, quote, utilitarian, right, that are picking up a cup, moving it to a different part of a table, screwing a bolt into a piece of equipment.

But the way that the robot performs that motion is deeply impactful if it's done near humans.

It was such an ambitious moonshot because we really did want to bring robots into people's everyday lives at the same scale that people are used to with all different kinds of technologies, whether that's a smartphone or a car.

And so it was not only about can we get robots to do things that are useful like sort trash or wipe tables, but also can we build robots that are welcomed in these environments so that if you have a robot inside of an office or a shopping mall or many years in the future inside of a school or a nursing home –

What are the levers that we can push and pull to make these robots evoke sensations that are positive instead of negative?

If a robot slides politely out of a doorway to let you pass, it might make you feel seen and acknowledged.

Here's Katie Kwan on the TED stage.

If a robot marches quickly towards you and avoids you at the last second, it might cause revulsion and fear.

Robots are beginning to show up in our everyday environments, from sidewalks to offices, backyards to hospitals.