I think this is a significant step to the evolution of human-robot relationships.



Heart Robot
Created by scientists at the University of the West of England in Bristol

"The Concept

"How will people change when the machines around them seem to have emotions? Soon there will be robots around us that use the language of emotion - smiling, looking sad or worried - in order to communicate with us more easily. Even though these robots won't have real emotions, we might easily imagine they do!

"Will this change us? Maybe it will, maybe it won't... but these 'emotional machines' will be part of our lives soon!

"We decided to use a puppet to bring these questions to people outside of Science Fairs and in the streets. Puppeteers know how to make things 'come alive' so they seem to have emotions. With a puppet with robotic features perhaps we can show people a little glimpse of how they might react to robots soon.
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"We wanted to make a puppet to which people might respond emotionally. We wanted the puppet to seem vulnerable, alien, and cartoony. Something new! Something handmade, not factory-built.
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"The materials we chose had to be right to make people want to touch Heart. His body is made of a plastic called Polymorph which you can shape in your hands, and his suit is made from padding and silk. We used silicon rubber to make his beating heart and breathing belly. Heart's 'bones' are connected with kite-line and bungee cords which are strong and flexible, and which act a bit like sinews and tendons.
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"We wanted to use rhythm and tension to make it look as though Heart has emotions. The rhythm of his breathing and heartbeat speeds up and he becomes more tense as he gets more 'worried'. He slows down and relaxes as he becomes 'happier'. His emotional state changes according to how you interact with him.
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"Heart is a puppet as well as a simple robot. As the puppeteer moves Heart, Heart gets more excited!"

via Boing Boing