teach AI when to say hi

摘要

A GUY WALKS INTO A BAR. THE ROBOT BARTENDER ASKS, "What'll it be?" But when does the bot greet him? As soon as the man walks in? After he's browsed the taps? A machine with no sense of social graces would not know the answer. That is, unless you taught it the delicate art of timing. According to Oregon State robotics professor Heather Knight, robots must understand how humans perceive time in order to build relationships with us. To teach them, Knight helps robots read our cues. For instance, a drinker in a hurry will take a direct, not a meandering, route to the barstool. But unpacking human body language is only part of what a would-be bionic barkeep might have to process.