Page 247 - Designing Sociable Robots

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228 Chapter 12

to adapt their behavior to the robot. For the small number of subjects, I have found that
people do intuitively and naturally adapt their behavior to the robot. They tune themselves
to the robot in a manner that benefits the robot’s computational limitations and improves
the quality of the exchange. As is evident in the video, they enjoy playing with the robot.
They express fondness of Kismet. They tell Kismet about their day and about personal
experiences. They treat Kismet with politeness and consideration (often apologizing if they
have irritated the robot). They often ask the robot what it likes, what it wants, or how it feels
in an attempt to please it. The interaction takes place on a physical, social, and affective
level. In so many ways, they treat Kismet as if it were a socially aware, living creature.