Soft flying robots inspired by Disney, Studio Ghibli and Pokemon

This soft flying robot companion is lighter than air and made to do things that most other robots

struggle with. Inspired by floating friends like Tinkerbell, Studio Ghibli's Sootsprites, and Pokemon, a team of researchers have set out to explore what a floating robot might be good for

how humans might interact with them, and what advantages this type of robot might have over

others. To start, soft floating robots are much quieter than drones with their spinning propellers

which means they're less stressful to sound-sensitive pets and people like me

They also create less of a disturbance in the air, allowing for more safe and gentle interaction with their surroundings

Human-robot interaction is actually one of the biggest challenges facing the robot industry right now

Most robots being made for industrial workplaces are quite heavy, as industrial machines often are, which can create risk of injury to their human co-workers

Companies are working hard to create safer human-robot interaction, But for now, robots working autonomously are frequently separated from human beings by a physical barrier

and robots that interact with people are often remote-controlled for safety reasons

Floating robots offer a solution by making the robot body itself soft and light

which may create opportunities for safe interaction between man and machine, even if the floating robot is operating autonomously

One proof-of-concept researchers showed demonstrating this potential was the soft robot acting like a physical alarm clock

waking somebody up with a gentle boop. This brings me to another area where soft floating robots may have an advantage

creating an emotional connection. There are several companies currently developing robots that are meant to make an emotional connection

with the human beings that they work with. They range from full-size standing humanoids

with facial movements to robot puppies for Alzheimer and dementia patients who may not be able to care for a dog of their own Lots of effort goes into making expressive or cute looking faces which can sometimes veer unintentionally into the infamous uncanny valley

where something not quite human looking creates intense feelings of discomfort. Another alternative is simply putting chatbots

or AI into the machines to give them a sense of aliveness. But if you've ever tried talking to a chatbot

for an extended period of time, that doesn't always last. What's interesting to me about these soft floating robots is that it may prove to be a less is more situation

Human beings are wired to project human feelings onto non-humans, including inanimate objects

Common phrases like, my printer doesn't like me today, or my phone is dead, reveal this tendency in us

But this nearly featureless floating white balloon with fins does seem to evoke the shape of a whale

which may be enough to create an emotional bond with the right movements

Speaking, walking, and facial expressions are all areas where our ability to discern human from non-human is very strong

Perhaps relying on a more alien movement like floating is a good workaround for robot developers seeking that emotional connection

Floating robots can also float upstairs without the engineering challenge of solving walking and balance issues

Now we have seen some floating robots before. German company Festo has created numerous floating robot form factors inspired by animals

including the Air Penguin, Air Ray, and Air Jelly. This new research dives deeper into what these types of robots could unlock

if we put them to use. Of course, a lighter-than-air robot won't be much help with household chores

but it might be a decent reminder, dance partner, or playmate of sorts

We actually did a video where a biophysicist reacts to some animal-inspired robots

and you can find that one right here. Let me know down in the comments what you think of floating robots and what you might use one for

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