Are Mind-Reading Teacher Robots Clever or Creepy?

by SodaHead News Posted 2012/06/04 20:00:00

Related Topics: wakamaru, mind-reading, Robots, Education, Teachers, online classes, Bilge Mutlu, Dan Szafir, School, Prostitute, Teacher, Student, voice, Robot, Prostitutes, Smart, Online, Brain

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	Clever	193 votes	33%
	Creepy	394 votes	67%

Online classes are convenient for students, but they do have their drawbacks. For instance, how do you ensure that an online student is getting the most out of their lesson? It's impossible for a human teacher to monitor each student's attention level and engage them when their attention starts to wane. Well, Bilge Mutlu and Dan Szafir at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have come up with a solution: Mind-reading wakamaru robot teachers.

"Mind-reading robot" might strike fear in the hearts of those who are worried about a dystopian future, but these robots only measure the attention level of a student. An EEG sensor monitors activity in a certain part of the brain, then employs humanoid "tricks" -- raising it's voice, making eccentric gestures -- to regain the student's attention when it wanders. Studies have shown this actually does increase test scores by about 20 percent. Does it sound like a clever way of engaging remote learners, or a disturbing step in the wrong direction?

+16

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Jay Calderone 2012/06/04 23:26:17

Creepy

+19
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More polls by SodaHead News

cupcakes to Crypt_H... 2012/06/05 01:59:57

does it look and feel like the real thing?

reply
Crypt_H... to cupcakes 2012/06/05 02:05:47

uhm... *shrug* How the hell am I supposed to know I dun have that kind of money XD (wehay runaway implications =D)

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bettyboop to Crypt_H... 2012/06/05 12:43:36

+1
when you say it isn't 'that" functional what exactly do you mean?

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Crypt_H... to bettyboop 2012/06/08 02:27:26

+1
http://www.huffingtonpost.com...

Although I saw it somewhere else, bbc I think, though I can't find the article.

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bettyboop to Crypt_H... 2012/06/08 16:41:28

Ah yes, a weird guys toy....now I understand

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tobe 2012/06/05 00:55:07 (edited)

Creepy

+1
Look familiar???

3 words... basketball exploding heads.. no way id let that thing near my kid.

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Tinka123 2012/06/05 00:47:46

Creepy

Creepy... mad creepy. My first thought - the eeg sensor...

As I said - mad creepy.

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Slurry 2012/06/05 00:26:27

Creepy

+5
The hell?

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David 2012/06/05 00:21:54

Clever

+2
It's helping you learn... by hiring a freaking robot. You ungrateful sacks of flesh D:

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lolitalovely 2012/06/05 00:15:55

Clever

+1
If they're going to force us to take those classes online, they might as well just give us a robot for the classroom they would have nixed for the internet. They can't possibly beat teachers though because people bring eccentricities and different understandings to the classroom.

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Boetica 2012/06/05 00:10:15

Creepy

+1
Eventually when they can read your mind they can call the cops and have you arrested for thought crimes. Any thoughts of liberty will be a crime against the State.

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democoach to Boetica 2012/06/05 16:36:09

thats EXACTLY my thoughts! EXACTLY!

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Kibbles 2012/06/05 00:09:09

Clever

+1
I think it's magnificently interesting t say the least. I look forward to seeing how this plays out.

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democoach to Kibbles 2012/06/05 16:36:36

with people in FEMA death camps because of NDAA

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Elaine Magliacane 2012/06/05 00:07:47

Creepy

+4
Sad too... that teachers have gotten so inept at their jobs a robot can do it better. Will the robots join the teachers union I wonder?

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Boetica to Elaine ... 2012/06/05 00:10:52

LOL I was thinking along the same lines.

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Lisa 2012/06/04 23:46:47

Creepy

+3
I honestly believe that nothing can replace working with a living breathing human being

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Fluffywolf, eater of chocolate 2012/06/04 23:37:41

Creepy

+1
It is brilliant, but I am rather scared.

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merslix. 2012/06/04 23:36:31

Clever

pretty epic.

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Jay Calderone 2012/06/04 23:26:17

Creepy

+19

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barby k... to Jay Cal... 2012/06/05 14:29:02

Sometimes I feel like somebody's watching me"

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Jay Cal... to barby k... 2012/06/05 22:22:00

probably because someone is watching you

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lavadream97 2012/06/04 23:22:37

Creepy

um no thx

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louisa 2012/06/04 23:14:37

Creepy

+4
Why cant people just teach people like it was meant to be?

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oceangrl to louisa 2012/06/05 01:33:25

agreed!

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swp to louisa 2012/06/05 15:23:19

Um, how do you know what was meant to be?

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democoach to swp 2012/06/05 16:39:39 (edited)

did God make robots to teach us? no he didn't make us robot minded either! so robots teaching us is NOT how it was meant to be!
"i am not your robot, i am not a clone, you are not my pupeteer, i am not a drone" trip lee

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MIRANDDAAA :) 2012/06/04 23:09:31

Creepy

+1
I would rather have a human as my teacher.

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adeenmckenziekennedy 2012/06/04 23:03:19

Creepy

I don't want people reading my thoughts

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D.C.Verdone 2012/06/04 22:35:09

Clever

Kinda cool for people like me XD XD

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Crime Time 2012/06/04 22:33:45

Creepy

My thoughts should not be read...

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stevmackey 2012/06/04 22:31:41

Clever

+3
Not as clever as the teacher that always knew what you were going to do before you did it.

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Dan ☮ R P ☮ 2012 ☮ 2012/06/04 22:29:34 (edited)

Creepy

+2
So... we just replace a human teacher with a robot? And the robot teacher just does what a normal teacher can do, except is limited to what it is programed to do?

Spend the money on something else. I prefer to keep the human element a factor in teaching humans.

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jackie 2012/06/04 22:29:20

Clever

Awesome! They have some talking and dancing and cleaning. Now they have one to see if a person is paying attention or not.

I wonder how bots would be in 20yrs... i'll be 39 o_O I hope they make them highly intelligent and identical to human. Then i'll have a friend :D

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democoach to jackie 2012/06/05 16:42:05

or a mortal unbeatable enemy! one that will kill you or torture you and have zero guilt or emotional factor!

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Layan Sbeitan 2012/06/04 22:25:30

Creepy

that is very creepy and are thoughts are meant to be kept to our selfs.... so ofcourse when i know somthing is reading my thoughts
im going to control them

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jason 2012/06/04 22:18:47

Creepy

+1
Buy rifles and ammo.

reply
yojer 2012/06/04 21:40:19

Clever

Its the best, acquiese, and be assimilated, ha, ha, ha....

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Sodahead Founders are Fascists 2012/06/04 21:24:58

Clever

Look at it! It is adorable!

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democoach to Sodahea... 2012/06/05 16:44:08 (edited)

these are adorable too. but adorable was the humans demise here

movie is gremlin

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