Kitt? KITT? Is that you?
By Clay Dillow Posted 10.29.2009 at 2:11 pm 12 Comments

Your Friendly Robot Companion: AIDA reacts to the driver's facial expressions and other cues, responding in the proper social context.  MIT
With all the sensors, computerized gadgetry and even Internet connectivity being built into cars these days, it's a wonder our automobiles aren't more like Optimus Prime. Our cars will now email us when they need to have their oil changed, and recognize our facial expressions to determine whether we're enjoying ourselves, but for all the information available to us when we're driving, it's often not possible to organize it all in real-time and package it in a way that we can digest while behind the wheel. Researchers at MIT and Audi created the Affective Intelligent Driving Agent to address exactly that problem.

AIDA communicates with the driver via a small, sociable robot built into the dashboard. The idea is to develop an informed and friendly passenger, the buddy perpetually riding shotgun who aside from reading the map and helping with navigation, acts as a companion. As such, AIDA is being developed to read drivers' moods via their facial expressions and other cues (hand gestures?) and respond to them in the proper social context. It communicates back in very human ways as well: with a smile, the blink of an eye, the drooping of its head.

Prompting memories of KIT from the (most excellent) television series Knight Rider, the idea is for AIDA to have personality and establish a relationship with the driver in which both parties learn from each another and help each other out. AIDA analyzes the driver's mobility patterns, common routes and destinations, and driving habits. It then merges its knowledge of the driver with its knowledge of the city around it, mashing up the drivers priorities and needs with real-time information on everything from tourist attractions to environmental conditions to commercial activity to help the driver make better decisions.

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Tags

Technology, Clay Dillow, auto tech, autombiles, future of robots, navigation system, robots, sociable robot
If, for instance, there's a parade route between you and the grocery store, AIDA will tell you about it and help you find your way around it. Or it might simply remind you that your gas tank is low, knowing that given the time of day you must be on your way to work several miles away. AIDA will even give you feedback on your driving, helping you increase your fuel efficiency or suggesting that your policy of making rolling illegal lefts through stop signs while in school zones may be ill-advised.

Unlike the sci-fi cars of our childhood fancy -- KIT, the Batmobile, Herbie -- AIDA is still a ways from pulling off daring rescue maneuvers or other heroic acts of derring-do. But it can make the road a safer, more informed place, and if the MIT robotics researchers have their way, one that's not quite so lonely.

[MIT]

12 Comments

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chieffranky
10/29/09 at 8:41 pm

Nope. Then it chuckles about the robot revolution and how humans don't have the multi-tasking abilities to take in a human companion and be safe while driving, let alone a little robot that you'll immediately want to gloat about to your friends and show off... I wonder if it would be sad at you or happy for itself... or concerned about your idleing towards the edge of the road.

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capnthepeafarmer
11/02/09 at 10:58 am

I wonder if it screams like a little girl when you drive like a jackass?

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Q42
11/02/09 at 4:57 pm

(Cute little robot voice) Aiiiii-da!

Somebody has been watching a little too much Disney ...

Seriously, though, at least this robot might help keep drowsy drivers awake. Just program it to shout at the driver if their eyelids start sagging.

If this thing can actually help avert traffic accidents - ideally without adding a fortune to the price of the car - then I'd say it's a good design.

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V3RTIGO
11/02/09 at 8:05 pm

I hope it won't be one of those annoying robots that tell you EXACTLY what you have to do and repeat it over and over again, then criticize you later for pounding it and telling it to SHUT UP, but other than that I have no qualms.

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Kim - Talkingde...
11/03/09 at 9:57 am

And after it has changed the eye circles a couple times and moved abit, what does it do !!! I think that I would get bored pretty quick.

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electron1130
11/04/09 at 12:26 am

i think AIDA is a good idea. however, i think he/she should be on a video screen instead of what they are showing here.

sometimes people just need to be reminded to relax when they get angry, and that could reduce road rage.

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Cuddles
11/05/09 at 12:05 pm

Sounds kinda like that annoying ass microsoft word paperclip dude

www.freebord.com/ride <-- Snowboard the Streets!

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Joey1058
11/06/09 at 10:53 am

By the time this gets into everyone's autos, the autos will be driving themselves anyway. So there's no worry about hitting anyone or anything. Feel free to go ahead and chat with your dashboard buddy!

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TechnoFreakFace
11/11/09 at 7:42 pm

@Joey1058
If it comes to cars driving themselves, well i dont like the idea of say, a hacker, or buerocrat taking control of the vehicle im in, let alone the "robotic revolution" occuring through a malicios virus sending millions of cars on a kamikazi rampage.ALSO, anyone can find out where you are and everything about u....the conspiracy nut in me is screaming
"Damn THose BEUROCRATS"....anyone in the government know EVRYTHING about EVERYONE!! the collapse of the U.S from corruption and growing socialism would be imminent!! Mafias do their bussines well without this car control system!! imagine how happy the mafia bosses will be!!

If cars become automatic im either gonna drive a 20 year old stick shift....but theyd make those illegal quite soon so ill..

1)Buy some deserted forest with noone within 500 sgr miles
2) building an underground bunker
3) stock up on 50 years worth of food
4) survive anything from S.W.A.T teams atacking me to a nuclear holacaust

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TechnoFreakFace
11/11/09 at 7:43 pm

@Cuddles
yep :P

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zombie joe
01/06/10 at 8:56 am

I would like to see it get mad, and start taking swipes at you.


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