The series Black Mirror We faced us, from different angles, to a future in which we not only lived with robots, we also interact with them in different affective ways. But the question is What is the future of this type of links? A team of scientists from the University of Guelph, led by Zhao Zhao, tried to answer this question.
It all started in 2021, when the Zhao team installed a small owner robot with owl -shaped Luka in the homes of 20 families. At that time, the children were preschool and were barely learning to read. Luka’s task was clear: scanning the pages of physical illustrated books and reading them aloud, helping children develop early literacy skills.
“In 2025, we returned, without waiting to find much -Zhao explains in a statement -. The children had grown. The reading level was no longer appropriate for their age. Without a doubt, Luka’s work was over. Instead, we find something extraordinary”
Of the 20 families, 18 still retained their robot. Many kept carrying it. Some used it as music player. Some simply left him on a shelf, along with books and memories of babies. This finding revealed Something deeper about how families relate to technology: not as tools that come and go, but as partners that acquire a new meaning over time, maintains the study, Posted in Frontiers in Robotics and AI.
“In our interviews -adds Zhao -, parents and children described Luka in a moving way. A boy called the robot “My little brother.” Another said that Luka was “the only pet I’ve had”. Some parents admitted that they kept him more for themselves than for their children: a nostalgic reminder of sleeping stories and the first milestones. ”
The original purpose of the robot, read aloud, had vanished, but His emotional role had deepened. The families took care of him, joked about him and, in one case, they gave it to a minor cousin in what looked like a retirement ceremony. It was not only a long -term use, but a long -term attachment. In the field of investigation of the person-order interaction (HCI) and the person-robot interaction (HRI), often Experts focus on participation or performance metrics.
“But our study shows that even a relatively simple robot, one that does not move or speak freely, can be part of the symbolic life of a family -affirms the study -. As a favorite stuffed animal or a work of art art framed, Luka went from function to memory. ”
The father of one of the families commented that, Although they no longer use it, they could not throw it out because it was part of the history of the family group. Even the location of the robot at home had a meaning. Luka sat on shelves, desks or bedside tables. A family added a mat. Another put a label with his name drawn by hand. They were not saved devices. They were exposed objects.
“This means that we should think about the life of a robot not only in months, but in years -confesses Zhao -. We should imagine the transitions of tutor to a partner, as an assistant to memory. We should consider how emotional attachment endures beyond novelty And how children’s relationships with robots evolve, instead of disappearing, with age. ”
According to the authors, study participants showed that The children did not always rule out the robot when their function had already been fulfilled: Some began to “teach him” or use it to calm a younger brother.
“As more families bring colleagues to their homes, We will need to understand better not only how they are used, but also how they are remembered -Zhao concludes -. Because sometimes, the robot stays. ”