The Hugging Robot

Marshall Escamilla (0:00)

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Lindsay Patterson (0:45)

Hi, I'm Lindsay.

Marshall Escamilla (0:46)

I'm Marshall. Welcome to Tumble, the show where we explore stories of science discovery.

Lindsay Patterson (0:51)

Today, we're talking about a hugging robot.

Marshall Escamilla (0:55)

A hugging robot, like a robot that hugs?

Lindsay Patterson (0:58)

Yes, and its name is HuggieBot. In this episode, we're going to meet its creator and discover what it takes to build a robot that can give a good hug.

Today's question comes from Ryder.

Ryder (1:19)

My question is, what makes a good hug?

Marshall Escamilla (1:23)

Well, I think I have some ideas of what makes a bad hug.

Lindsay Patterson (1:27)

Like what?

Marshall Escamilla (1:28)

Like one that's pokey.

Lindsay Patterson (1:33)

One that feels like a bag of nails.

Marshall Escamilla (1:35)

Yes, or one that involves very sharp claws and that is followed by eating you.

Lindsay Patterson (1:40)

Oh, no.

Marshall Escamilla (1:41)

That is a bad hug.

Lindsay Patterson (1:42)

Well, we're talking about good hugs today, and Ryder thinks a good hug might have to do with the thoughts and feelings of the huggers.

Ryder (1:51)

I think that tight hugs are good, but it really depends on perspective. I think scientists could find out by asking people what type of hug they like most and then getting a decent average.

Marshall Escamilla (2:08)

I love the idea of getting a decent average of everyone's favorite hug. I guess everyone has different preferences, so you got to ask a lot of people, do you like a pokey hug?

How about one with claws?

Lindsay Patterson (2:20)

Well, let's ask our listeners, what do you think makes a good hug and how would scientists find out? Think about it, because when we come back, we'll talk with a scientist who got people to hug it out with a robot.

To find out what makes a good hug, I called up Alexis Block, the creator of a robot called HuggieBot.

Alexis Block (2:46)

I'm really interested in designing, building, programming and testing robots to provide us with emotional support.

Marshall Escamilla (2:53)

So how can a robot provide us with emotional support? Because aren't they just naturally emotionless? Should we be trusting robots with our feelings?

Lindsay Patterson (3:04)

These are good questions. I think you're going to see that HuggieBot takes a really different approach to making people feel better.

It's not like an AI bot, it's a physical robot built just for giving hugs.

Marshall Escamilla (3:18)

Bring it in, let's hug it out, bro.

Lindsay Patterson (3:23)

Exactly. So I played Ryder's question for Alexis and asked her what she thought.

Alexis Block (3:29)

Wow, Ryder sounds really smart. I heard a lot of really good things in that question.

Lindsay Patterson (3:35)

She told me that she'd actually done a lot of what Ryder suggested, and she did it by building hugging robots.

Alexis Block (3:44)

I investigated robot hugs, and by the time I finished, I published what we like to call the 11 key ingredients that are vital to providing your hugging partner with a good embrace.

Marshall Escamilla (3:56)

Wow, I have so many questions. I want to know what the ingredients are, but first, how did Alexis get this idea to study hugs with a robot? Why not just ask people and have people do it?

Lindsay Patterson (4:07)

Again, good questions, Marshall. It all started when Alexis took a robotics class back in high school.

Alexis Block (4:16)

I was learning how to wire circuits and how to build things with my hands. It was really, really exciting and fun.

Lindsay Patterson (4:24)

Alexis loved turning the science she was learning into something she could touch. She went away to college excited to study engineering, but then something horrible happened.

Alexis Block (4:36)

So, my dad unfortunately passed away during my freshman year of college, and that was really, really difficult.

Marshall Escamilla (4:44)