As part of her research, Naver has also published studies in the field of human-robot interaction. For example, after a series of experiments, Naver came to the conclusion that the optimal place for a robot in a crowded elevator with people was the corner next to the entrance on the side opposite the elevator buttons. Placing the robot in the back of the elevator made people feel uncomfortable, the Naver researchers found.
The company’s engineers also designed animated eyes that stare in the direction the robot is going. They found that workers could better anticipate the robot’s movement if they could see its gaze.
None of the machines look human. Mr Kang said the company does not want to give people the wrong impression that robots behave like humans. (Some robotics experts believe that humanoid robots make humans more uncomfortable, not less.)
Of course, Naver isn’t the only technology company trying to advance robot technology. Rice Robotics has deployed hundreds of cartoonish, square robots to deliver packages, groceries and more to office buildings, malls and convenience stores across Asia. Robots like Optimus, a prototype Tesla unveiled in September, are designed to be more human-like and carry boxes, water plants, and more, but they’re a long way from being deployed.
Rice Robotics CEO Victor Lee said he was impressed when he saw videos of Naver’s machines and robot-friendly building. While Rice’s delivery robots work differently, Naver’s approaches “made sense,” he said. “Naver obviously has a lot more development budget for these moonshot projects.”
Naver said a distinguishing feature of his robots was that they are intentionally “mindless,” meaning they aren’t rolling computers processing information inside the machine. Instead, the robots communicate in real time over a high-speed, private 5G network with a centralized “cloud” computing system. The movements of the robots are processed using data from cameras and sensors.
