Gendered by Design: Gender Codes in Social Robotics

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the design of gendered social robots. Utilitarian social robots are sometimes referred to as domestic robots or service robots and are designed to interact with humans mainly for instrumental or functional purposes. Anthropomorphism refers to "the tendency to attribute human characteristics to inanimate objects, animals and others with a view to helping us rationalize their actions". Thus, anthropomorphism seems to provide a powerful mechanism through which social interaction can be facilitated and 'common ground' established within human–robot interactions. In human–robot interaction research it has been shown that robot-gendering, through voice, demeanor, and/or appearance triggers 'almost automatic' stereotyping of robot traits and this stereotyping influences the tasks perceived as appropriate for a gendered robot. Duffy suggests that when sociable technologies are designed to exploit users natural tendency to ascribe human-like characteristics onto nonhuman technologies, such machines may be experienced as more socially engaging.