In the hit movie "Castaway" Tom Hanks has a breakdown when a volleyball he befriended named "Wilson" gets carried away by a wave, new research suggests soldiers may feel the same thing when their robot dies.
Researchers wondered if a soldier would avoid sending their robot "friend" into a dangerous situation if they had developed a strong attachment, a University of Washington press release reported.
Julie Carpenter, who recently earned her doctorate from UW, interview soldiers form the Explosive Ordnance Disposal to see how they felt when their robot was destroyed. The military personnel often send their robots into extremely dangerous situations in order to disarm explosives. Many of the soldiers reported experiencing feelings of "frustration, anger and even sadness," when their robot was destroyed, they said the fear of these emotions did not affect their performance.
Carpenter spoke to 22 male and one female explosive ordnance personnel from various parts of the country and military branches.
Some of the soldiers said they could tell who was controlling the robot by the way it moved, and others even saw it as an "extension of themselves." In almost all cases the robot was considered to be an important tool with the ability to save human lives.
The soldiers often gave their robot human or animal-like characteristics, such as a name and gender. Many of the personnel named the machine after a celebrity or romantic partner, some even painted the name on the side.
"They were very clear it was a tool, but at the same time, patterns in their responses indicated they sometimes interacted with the robots in ways similar to a human or pet," Carpenter said.
Many of the interviewed soldiers said their initial reaction when a robot was blown up was to feel frustrated at the loss of pricey equipment, but others experienced deeper emotions.
"They would say they were angry when a robot became disabled because it is an important tool, but then they would add 'poor little guy,' or they'd say they had a funeral for it," Carpenter said. "These robots are critical tools they maintain, rely on, and use daily. They are also tools that happen to move around and act as a stand-in for a team member, keeping Explosive Ordnance Disposal personnel at a safer distance from harm."
The machines that are currently used in disarming explosives have very few human-like features, but the military plans to have more lifelike robots in the future. Carpenter wonders if this will increase soldiers' emotional attachments to the devices.
"You don't want someone to hesitate using one of these robots if they have feelings toward the robot that goes beyond a tool," she said. "If you feel emotionally attached to something, it will affect your decision-making."
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