A new best friend?Do you love dogs? If so, the results of a new study may unsettle you. Researchers at St. Louis University in Missouri found that robot dogs Robot dog refers to a robot in the shape of a dog, or one which has other canine characteristics (such as a barking dog burglar alarm activated by disturbance of an infra-red beam). Such dogs have appeared often both in fiction, and in the form of toys. may have the same healing effects on people as real ones. William Banks This article is about the alderman. For the Egyptologist, see William John Bankes. William Banks is alderman of the 36th ward in Chicago; he was first elected in 1983. and his wife, Marian, tested their theory about companionship companionship the faculty possessed by most truly domesticated animals. They are social creatures and have a great need for the companionship of other animals. Animals in groups are quieter and more productive as a rule. using their own trained therapy dog, Sparky spark·y adj. spark·i·er, spark·i·est Animated; lively. spark  i·ly adv. , and a robot dog, Aibo,
which was created by Sony.
In the test, nursing-home residents were divided into three groups. One received weekly visits from Sparky, and another spent time with Aibo. A third group had no visits at all. After eight weeks, people in the first two groups reported feeling less lonely. Whether interacting with Sparky or Aibo, the residents talked freely, petted the dogs, and showered them with love. "Aibo is charismatic [appealing] if you start to interact with him," William Banks, a professor of geriatric geriatric /ger·i·at·ric/ (jer?e-at´rik) 1. pertaining to elderly persons or to the aging process. 2. pertaining to geriatrics. ger·i·at·ric adj. 1. (elder care) medicine, told a local newspaper. "He's an engaging sort of guy." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Could robots replace dogs as man's best friend? What do you think? |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion