Objective EMTECH analyzes the relationship between aesthetic works on human-robot interaction in Japan and cutting-edge advances in robotics and artificial intelligence. Its central hypothesis argues that a tradition of literary, artistic, and other media forms of cultural production on human-robot relationships particular to Japan is currently being built into emotionally-intelligent companion robots with the ability to understand, record, and elicit emotions in its users, consequently expanding the capacities for humans to create affective bonds with machines and transforming structures of intimacy that sustain traditional social institutions. In its most ambitious claim, EMTECH argues that this cultural tradition has played a primary role in inspiring the recently-emerging mass production of domestic robots with technology that can register and record facial expressions, heart rate, skin conductance, and other signs of affect not consciously recognized by humans, thus generating new kinds of scientific data on human affect that fundamentally challenges previous understandings of emotion. Through the textual analysis of literary work on robot imaginaries and ethnographic fieldwork on human-robot interaction in homes, palliative care centers, and engineering laboratories, EMTECH’s purpose is to collect qualitative data on new technologies of emotion management in order to advance literary and cultural theory’s contributions to the affective sciences, as well as to inform public discussions on issues of data collection, privacy, and other ethical concerns raised by the adoption of emotionally-intelligent robots in the home. Leveraging research in the humanities to critique emotional models employed by robotics engineers and designers, and implementing novel research methods such as the use of robots in both literary critique and ethnographic fieldwork, EMTECH promises to yield groundbreaking data of both theoretical and methodological application across the human sciences. Fields of science natural sciencescomputer and information sciencesartificial intelligencesocial sciencessociologygovernancehumanitiesengineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringrobotics Programme(s) H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme Topic(s) ERC-2016-STG - ERC Starting Grant Call for proposal ERC-2016-STG See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-STG - Starting Grant Coordinator FREIE UNIVERSITAET BERLIN Net EU contribution € 1 489 919,00 Address Kaiserswerther strasse 16-18 14195 Berlin Germany See on map Region Berlin Berlin Berlin Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Other funding € 0,00 Beneficiaries (1) Sort alphabetically Sort by Net EU contribution Expand all Collapse all FREIE UNIVERSITAET BERLIN Germany Net EU contribution € 1 489 919,00 Address Kaiserswerther strasse 16-18 14195 Berlin See on map Region Berlin Berlin Berlin Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Other funding € 0,00
