Leicester AI team seek volunteers for robot interaction

While the technology is rudimentary, Prof Tracy Harwood believes it has great potential

Volunteers are being sought to teach emotional responses to a type of robot.

A De Montfort University (DMU) team, in Leicester, created the artificial intelligence programme which can judge an onlooker's mood.

Named PLEA, its uses cameras and microphones to monitor a subject and their immediate environment and responds via a projected face.

The team are looking for people to interact with the robot so it can learn subtler facial expressions.

The programme could have potential to be used in care environments to combat loneliness, the team said

PLEA has previously been seen at the central library but the public is being asked to book slots with the system at a pop-up exhibition space on Churchgate.

Tracy Harwood, professor of digital culture at DMU, said the programme was constantly learning from interacting with people.

"We want to see how well it communicates using non verbal methods," she said.

"Even when people are wearing masks or have hair on their faces, if you are frowning or smiling, it can read that.

"Is it responsive to you? Is it copying you? Are you copying it? How do you feel about what it is doing?"

Practical applications

Hour-long slots include a briefing and interview about the experience.

Prof Harwood said the robot would eventually be able to speak and there was a practical application in mind.

"It's rudimentary but the potential for it to communicate and be company for people is definitely there," she said.

"The aim of it is to put it into care settings, a more a social setting than a private home

"The idea is it reduces loneliness, it increases your desire to want to communicate."