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How do robots learn to act more like humans? Not by rapping. Researchers from Telecommunications Research Institute in Kyoto, Japan recently summarized their latest work [PDF] by having two robots show off their lyrical skills, and boy, is it cringe-worthy (Gizmodo called it "agonizingly awkward") and amazing.
Two robots, Robovie and the super creepy android ERICA, rap their way through a parody of the Sugarhill Gang’s "Rapper’s Delight" that explains how robots can learn social skills by observing humans interact, modeling interactions between shopkeeper and customer at a camera store or agent-client at a travel agency, for instance. As Robovie says, "I got 99 problems / But learning by imitation from human-human interactions ain’t one."
The video is nerd gold and also includes lyrics like "My silicone brings all the bots to the yard."
It took home the Best Video award at a Vienna robotics conference earlier this month, which makes you feel a bit sorry for all those other researchers whose robots have even sadder lyrical stylings.