Robots for comfort and counsel

Alexis Block hugs 'Huggiebot'. (Photograph: Alexis Block) - From robots that offer solace to algorithms that help judges make fact-based decisions, robotics and machine learning are entering new domains that were once the preserve of humans. Five years ago, while studying in Pennsylvania for a Master's degree in robotics, Alexis E. Block was asked to choose a topic for her thesis. Almost right away, she said she wanted to develop a robot that would hug and comfort her. Block's father had recently passed away, and her mother lived in Wisconsin, a two-and-a-half-hour flight away. With millions of people living far from their loved ones, she figured she wasn't the only one craving physical comfort. Wouldn't it be marvellous, Block thought, if we could at least send a hug to the people we love and miss so much? And it could make a real difference: it is well established that human hugs and physical contact reduce blood pressure, alleviate stress and anxiety, and boost the immune system.