I, Robot (Who Shakes Hands Politely)

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

A firm handshake is a very important skill to acquire. A limp, sweaty palm or an overaggressive squeeze is a major turnoff. While this has been an issue exclusively confined to homosapiens, robots are quickly going from blue collar to white collar jobs, and a professional handshake is becoming a necessary skill set.

Last week, we told you about an Israeli company who built a sarcasm detector. While that is not quite ready for robotic instillation, Dr. Amir Karniel of Ben-Gurion University is holding a contest with the first to develop a sophisticated hand-shaking robot to earn a cash prize as well as publication in a scientific journal.

Now, you may be asking, why a handshake? Robots have been grasping and picking up objects for years, but the subtlety of a proper handshake has eluded engineers for decades. Rather than a pre-scripted movement, a good handshake is also a response to the actions taken by the recipient. Getting a feel for size, strength, grip, and overall intensity are key to avoiding an awkward encounter. A good robot needs to have a hand equipped with tons of sensors and needs to have enough motor parts to allow natural and subtle changes during an encounter.

A handshake between two heads of states is always an important moment, signifying mutual respect and partnership between two peoples. But what if there was a “sub-level” of diplomatic interaction? Maybe in the future, we will send “hand-shaking robots” to greet dignitaries of countries we are not too fond of….

To read more from PopSci about the contest and links to beer pong playing robots, click here.

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