Robot Can Read Human Body Language 114
An anonymous reader writes "European researchers have developed a new approach to artificial intelligence that could allow computers to respond to behavior as well as commands, reacting intelligently to the subtle nuances of human communication. It's no trivial feat – many humans struggle with the challenge on a day-to-day basis."
Cool (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:1)
> "European researchers have developed a new approach to artificial intelligence that could
> allow computers to respond to behavior as well as commands, reacting intelligently to the
> subtle nuances of human communication. It's no trivial feat - many humans struggle
> with the challenge on a day-to-day basis."
Great. Now sexbots can turn down nerds, too.
Re:Cool (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
Didn't you read the summary? It can understand body language. This robot is obviously female.
How does this negate the parent?
Re: (Score:2)
I’d hit that!
What? It’s better than reading Slashdot!
Re: (Score:2)
That just makes it worse...
Lesbian robots pick up more chicks than your average slashdotter.
Re: (Score:2)
How is that worse? Are you a closet homophobe?
Re: (Score:2)
Nah. I like lesbians as much as the next guy.
It’s worse because you’d think their choices would be more limited... to only lesbians who liked robots, and not even robots of the nice vibrating male variety.
I knew it! (Score:2)
I always suspected Tim Roth was a robot, but now I have proof!
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
'Lie To Me' is an excellent show by the way. Highly recommended.
Idea (Score:2, Interesting)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Re: Autistic (Score:2)
You forgot the correlation between Autistic and Geek Hacker!
Also expect to hear "I believe you'll repay me but my Bioware Implant Chip reading your body language sez you're full of Archeopteryx shit."
Robots (Score:4, Funny)
many humans struggle with the challenge on a day-to-day basis
I bet one or two of them are reading this right now.
Re:the problem is not humans struggling to respond (Score:5, Funny)
the problem is not humans struggling to respond...to body language, the problem is humans using such an ambiguous form of communication when they could make the effort to be explicit with words.
Spoken like a true Slashdotter!
Re:the problem is not humans struggling to respond (Score:4, Funny)
"Aqui en Mexico, todos los trabajadores tenemos acceso a servicios de salud publica."
Aun así, están trepando las paredes para entrar en el Norte.
Re: (Score:2)
Some people value hard cash over benefits... [shrug]
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
In which case the problem at hand is narrow-mindedness.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
Um, you do realize that body language is a universal language that cuts across cultures, ethnicities, and time, don't you? There's an old Chinese proverb that says "We all smile in the same language." And that's as true today as it was thousands of years ago when the first person (who may not have been anywhere near China) said it.
Body language is subtle and can be ambiguous, but that does not detract from its importance in human communication. In short, the problem isn't with the rest of the world using, i
Re:the problem is not humans struggling to respond (Score:5, Insightful)
You are completely incorrect. What an old Chinese proverb says does not make it true. The identical smile of two twin brothers can mean something totally different; the identical smile of the same person can mean two different things depending on context.
When you move across cultures, different body language can have specific interpretations, or in one country be a habit where in another country it is considered a rudeness.
The majority of responses to this thread reflect the worst excesses of American self-centredness: in Spain over the years, I have so often seen a US tourist shouting at the native, making contorted facial expressions to try to get some message across. He then gets offended when the Spaniard moves his hands in a gesture which is perfectly normal for this country, but unusual and much more confrontational in the US. In fact he should have just taken the time to speak careful English and realise that we can probably do the same thing back.
Re: (Score:2)
When you move across cultures, different body language can have specific interpretations, or in one country be a habit where in another country it is considered a rudeness.
That there are differences does not mean there are not universals.
While it is true that "body language" broadly defined is not universal, aspects of it are, as are aspects of facial expression, just as they are in other species.
Pointing out the existence of differences says nothing about the existence of universals.
Re: (Score:1)
That there are differences does not mean there are not universals.
Name me three "body language universals".
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
Cowering: this is an action, like walking from A to B. You cower from a threat to protect yourself. Looking at a few dictionaries, some interpret "cower" as synonymous with "cower with fear", in which case this isn't a body language universal, just a term to describe doing act A for precisely reason B.
Fidgeting: Oh, there couldn't be a less universal reason for fidgeting. Some do it because they're bored, some because they're concentrating hard, some because they're nervous, some because they're annoyed, so
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
Hm, sorry... for some reason the response I made never appeared even though I'd hit Submit and no response. What I said, summarising:
Fingers in ears: you're not listening? I'm not listening? Encouraging a smile? TV volume too loud? Migraine? Meditation? Hear No Evil?
Raised fist: Victory? Threat? Friendship solidarity? Socialist Solidarity? Evasion? Concept grasped? Holy Spirit grasped? Grab you by the balls? Shaking the dice? About to bring the other hand up for a European insult? About to ESL the letter G?
Re: (Score:1)
FuckingNickName turned on the stereo and began jamming out to his favorite Christmas carol, nodding his head in rhythm with the violent bouncing of the speakers. Turning around, he saw his young son holding his hands over his ears with a look of disgust on his face. Puzzled, FuckingNickName shouts above the music, "FuckingJr, what's wrong? You're not listening? I'm not listening? Are you encouraging me to smile? Do you have a migraine? Are you meditating? WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO COMMUNICATE???"
Re: (Score:1)
FuckingNickName would try to be more considerate than to cause that situation in the first place, if ever it considered having kids. Which is quite unlikely.
But FuckingNickName thanks you for illustrating that context and learnings (were you born aware that everyone uses their ears to hear?) are so important. And don't forget the great Western cultural privilege which kids have to use grunts and hand-waving to modify the behaviour of their parents. In an environment where the father wouldn't consider such a
Re: (Score:2)
Finger pointed at crutch, head nodding up and down, rye smile.
They all mean the same thing.
I have a broken leg and I want a sandwich?
Re: (Score:2)
:( = Sad :) = Happy :D = Ecstatic
Re: (Score:2)
;_; = Sad ^_^ = Happy ^__^ = Ecstatic
Two separate studies, in 2007 at Hokkaido University and in 2009 at Glasgow University, showed that Japanese and other East Asians read facial expressions by looking mainly at the eyes, and the researchers noted that this is reflected in East Asian emoticons which put emphasis on the eyes, compared to Western emoticons which emote mainly with the mouth. [wikipedia.org]
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
That there are differences does not mean there are not universals.
Name me three "body language universals".
There are lots actually, especially among facial expressions (as noted above). Smiles, sneers, crying, frowns, etc are all understood to be fairly universal behaviors. They are universal responses to stimuli, and they are commonly understood by people irrespective of culture. The thing is that these relatively simple behaviors that are likely innate to the organism, rather than learned behaviors. Many of these reflexes are even understood across species.
He then gets offended when the Spaniard moves his hands in a gesture which is perfectly normal for this country, but unusual and much more confrontational in the US.
This is an example of a more complex learned behav
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
http://science.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=1474090&cid=30391496 [slashdot.org]
Re: (Score:1)
Wikipedia makes the uncited statement that "body language" refers to the subset of body language which is unconscious. This, perhaps, allowed the post you linked to to make the No True Scotsman fallacy in finding a re-definition of "body language" to fit the argument.
Body language refers to any communication of information using the body, Thus:
1. Gestures are learnt through imitation or conscious effort in culture are part of body language;
2. Gestures which may be innate, but which are refined and controlle
Re: (Score:1)
dude, 2 people are having a discussion and you link to the guy you agree with and tell mods to mod down the other guy. you havent even contributed more than a line of text. that is weak.
Re: (Score:2)
Hey, I think if someone comes to your country, he should first learn your language. You don’t go to the USA, expecting they would speak your language, would you?
It’s a matter of politeness. You speak the language of the place where you are.
Re: (Score:1)
If you're going to stay there a while, perhaps, absolutely. Even for a short break, you'd do well to practice a few phrases.
If you're passing through, e.g. stopping off for a night in Dubai on the way to the Far East, it can be a very inefficient. Yes, you'd do well to learn a few customs of the culture before going to Dubai - not least because you probably wouldn't welcome arrest there :-) - but expecting you to learn Arabic would be excessive.
In the latter case, find out what language you are likely to ha
Re: (Score:2)
He then gets offended when the Spaniard moves his hands in a gesture which is perfectly normal for this country, but unusual and much more confrontational in the US.
That's not body language. That's sign language.
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
You sir, are a fucking idiot.
Good start.
Cultural differences don't disrupt the fact that your body reacts in certain way depending of the emotion you are expressing.
Ever heard of the "British stiff upper lip"? Cultural elements sometimes exist precisely to repress any ways you might feel like expressing an emotion, and to teach you to present your body in a certain way.
I assume this is because you really just wanted to go on a "I hate Americans" rant, and this topic was as good as any.
I don't hate Americans. I've lived in Virginia for a short while. But I do criticise the worst excesses of American self-centredness. Any superpower is going to develop such excesses, exhibited by some proportion of its natives. The Romans did it, the Spanish did it, the Brits did it, and now
Re: (Score:2)
The "stiff upper lip" is just words. There is no facial gesture. The term was invented around the time Cricket was made the national sport as an effort to promote British Nationalism to get through some hardship or another that they were having.
Re: (Score:2)
Compare the US response to 9/11 (anger, hatred, vitriol, grief)
with the British response to 7/7 (this isn't going to stop us living out our lives, are they stupid, did they really think this would work?, we're not going to give in etc.)
That's just a matter of perspective and your choice of adjectives. I live in New York state and the response I saw here in the US was much more like your description of 7/7 than 9/11. It was hardly the undirected anger you imply. Not to mention, you really can't compare the two incidents so easily; the scale of the attacks was too different.
Note: The above is not meant to be personal or have anything to do with Britain/US stereotypes. I just think your comparison is flawed.
Now, as for your actual point.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Wrong; cultural distinctions exist. The "V sign" is a common symbol of "peace" in the U.S., and formerly of "victory" during the World Wars. But in Australia? It's offensive, as George Bush Sr. found the hard way in 1992. [wikipedia.org]
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
I also think it serves as a bit of a social firewall to keep the "ins" and the "outs" just the way they are.
I suspect that lots of people are subtle on purpose so that only the select few they want in on the message actually understand it, deliberately leaving the socially impaired outsiders clueless.
Re:the problem is not humans struggling to respond (Score:4, Interesting)
Absolutely. I went to a private school and am familiar with the privileges of an Old Boys' network. Yes, competence is a must, but what makes you an insider is a particular way you must act: a social protocol that is on its surface, the mark of someone well-spoken, polite and reasonable, but underneath is a way to make sure that the undesirables are snubbed. Body language, accent, jargon, dress, mannerisms: all these things are involved.
It is all the more useful that people believe such things as body language are innate and immutable. It means we can pretend you're equal while we're more equal than you; it means that, if you're especially unobservant, we can act in a way that you interpret as naturally suave, sophisticated and respectable, when in fact we're just carefully controlling what you think is uncontrollable.
In short, the elite get a lesson in marketing, whatever their field. The middle classes think they're too smart to need that lesson, then wonder why then seem to reach a ceiling.
Re: (Score:1)
Without a doubt. Fry said it better than I would. [youtube.com]
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
I follow the rules of Jon Postel and my (UK) amateur radio license:
1. "Be conservative in what you send, liberal in what you accept";
2. "The Licensee may use codes and abbreviations for communications as long as they do not obscure or confuse the meaning of the Message."
In other words, I use jargon only among those who will understand the jargon and only when that jargon aids in communication (*). Otherwise, I try strenuously to avoid it.
(*) Consider 2 surgeons using laymans' terms for parts of the body les
Re: (Score:2)
You may have noticed me use the word "firewall" to describe the situation ;)
Re: (Score:2)
Paranoid much?
Re: (Score:2)
...to body language, the problem is humans using such an ambiguous form of communication when they could make the effort to be explicit with words.
I don't understand what you mean. Could you turn on your webcam?
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Like this? [wikipedia.org]
Re: (Score:2)
Query: What do four pill bugs and a millipede marching in formation have to do with a middle finger?
Hello (Score:2)
I am Robotron Y76P-X12, your new protocol robot. I am capable of detecting your very needs before you even verbally express them. I can tell by your shy appearance and baggy pants that your reproductive organs make you feel insecure. Would you like a free trial of Vimax?
Re: (Score:2)
I can already see it in use on computers (Score:4, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
I think you'd better do what he says, Mr. Kinney.
Hmm.. (Score:2, Insightful)
Politics (Score:5, Interesting)
If it is any good it will get banned in seconds.
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
I didn't think that politicians could write!
On an other note, I wonder how this robot would interpret it if I farted in its general direction?
I think they meant.. (Score:1)
I'm not mad! (Score:3, Funny)
Robot: "I won't do the dishes until you calm down."
Me: "I *am* calm."
Robot: "That is not what your body is telling me."
Me: !!!!!!
Another excuse for robots (Score:1)
Re:Another excuse for robots (Score:4, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Got to remember this next time I chat with a nice girl.
Re: (Score:2)
The image results for "Brail" are better than when searching for "Braille". The Brail one has Braille porn. Its awesome.
How about interpretive dance? (Score:2)
noisy inputs (Score:2)
This kind of system, along with things that react to facial expressions, eye movement or brain activity are cool and everything, but what kind of usability gains are we going to get here? Is it really an advantage to have your computer know you're pissed, for example, or sad? Oh yeah, we can get a google-ads type response to your mood; "Looks like you're crying - click here to FedEx Kleenex," or maybe alert security that you've become enraged in your cubicle and are an imminent threat to your coworkers and
Region 1 only? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
err, thats the basic description of pattern recognition, observe and locate patterns...
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
so it will be a preprogrammed system, not a learning system?
What (Score:1)
Bad Summary (Score:3, Funny)
I guess slashdot submitters aren't that good at reading "article language".
Can they open-source the algorithm (Score:2)
computers taking my jerbs! (Score:2)
"European researchers have developed a new approach to artificial intelligence that could let computers to respond to behaviour as well as commands, reacting intelligently to the subtle nuances of human communication. It's no trivial feat - many humans struggle with the challenge on a day-to-day basis"
Computers can do math better than me, read body language better than me, and the bots can play games better than me. Looks like my only remaining advantage is a greater efficiency at turning fluid grains into pee. :(
This is never going to work because... (Score:1)
Re: (Score:1)
AI "smarter" than Human Intelligence? (Score:1)
While this could be very useful, for example a personal AI telling us that we should tak
oblig xkcd (Score:2, Funny)
http://xkcd.com/632/ [xkcd.com]
Good, put them in schools now! (Score:2)
I hope they put these in elementary and high schools now, use them to teach a new generation of Asperger nerds how to do it, so we can further infect the gene pool and avoid the need for any more Revenge of the Nerds movies?
I'm surprised no one has mentioned this yet (Score:2)
HOSTILE! (Score:2)
00 HOSTILE!
01 KILL!
02 GOTO 00
GPS (Score:2)
Yeah. The lady on my GPS told me that I'm a dickhead!
What gives?
Clippy (Score:1)