ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on human robot relations and how robots can contribute to human society — in the Asimovian spirit. It discusses how mirroring works as a tool for social acceptance. Acceptance of the social robot as human being or at least approaching human-like interaction is the underlying key to effective, long-term and fulfilling human-robot interaction. Social robotics are designed such that they attempt to mirror human emotions and empathy by manipulating the interacting human's expressions and intonations, and are usually designed to work in a social role or function, nurse robot, companion robot and museum guide robot. Human-human interactions happen over a number of channels: voice, which includes words and intonation, vision, pertaining to appearance, body language and facial expressions and touch such as tactile and proprioception. Post war Japan has been the powerhouse for new technology, with proven leadership in auto industry and robotics.
