Scientists noticed dogs react socially to robots that exhibit social behavior, even if they have no resemblance to people.
Researchers observed the way 41 dogs reacted to "social" and "asocial" robots. The dogs were split into two groups; one "team" observed a human-to-human interaction and then an "asocial" interaction between a person and robot. The second group observed similar events but with a "social" reaction between a person and a machine, a Springer press release reported.
Both groups of dogs participated in the event they had observed in the opposite order. The dogs in both groups were pointed in the direction of a hidden treat by either a human or a robot.
"A customized human-sized PeopleBot² with two arms and four-fingered hands were used. One of its robotic arms makes simple gestures and grasps objects. The PeopleBot does not resemble a human, but looks rather like a piece of gym equipment with a white gloved hand attached to it," the press release reported.
The robot could either be programmed to behave more like a human, even calling the dog by its name; it could also be programmed to act like regular machines.
The dogs did not have as strong of a reaction to the social robots as they would to a human, but the researchers did notice significant social reactions in the canines.
The team also noticed it was harder for dogs to find the hidden food when they were pointed towards it by an "asocial" robot. They were much more successful when a human or human-like robot showed them the hiding spot.
Researchers believe this study provides insight into the mind of non-human animals, and could teach humans the best designs for social robots.
"Roboticists who design interactive robots should look into the sociality and behavior of their designs, even if they do not embody human-like characteristics," lead author Gabriella Lakatos of the Hungarian Academy of Science and Eötvös Loránd University, said.
