Apple’s recent research paper sheds light on its consumer robotics initiatives, emphasizing the importance of expressive movements in enhancing human-robot interactions. The report begins by noting that, similar to animals, humans are highly attuned to motion and subtle shifts in movement.
To illustrate this concept, Apple references Pixar, a company connected to the late Steve Jobs, and its iconic Luxo Jr. lamp, which has served as the studio’s mascot since 1985. Apple chose a lamp as a “non-anthropomorphic” example for its research, highlighting how objects without human-like features can still exhibit familiar behaviors.The paper suggests that for robots to engage more naturally with people, their movement design should incorporate expressive elements such as intention, attention, and emotion, in addition to practical considerations like completing tasks efficiently.
Accompanying the paper is a video that showcases these expressive movements, notably mirroring those of Pixar’s lamp. One of the most interesting aspects of the video features a lamp robot responding to user queries, functioning similarly to devices like the HomePod or Amazon Echo, but with more dynamic movements.
In a split-screen demonstration, one version of the robot simply answers a weather question, while another turns its “head” to look out the window, suggesting that even minor movements can invoke a sense of connection between humans and objects.
As Apple prepares to enhance its consumer robotics efforts ahead of a more advanced smart home system, these insights could inform the development of a more expressive robotic hub. While it’s been suggested that this hub might resemble “a robot arm with an iPad attached,” the research indicates that Apple may pursue a design that is even less humanoid than Amazon’s Astro robot. Currently, Apple’s robotics division remains in the research phase, and several developments could shape the project’s future, including potential changes in design or even a decision to halt the project entirely.
