Hardware Podcasts

Episode 110: Designing ethical robots - Catherine Menon

Robot Talk · 21 Feb 2025 · 35m · Episode 110

What this episode covers

Catherine Menon, a principal lecturer at the University of Hertfordshire, discusses the ethical hazards of assistive home robots, emphasizing the need for design transparency and algorithmic explainability to build user trust. She contrasts safety-critical systems with consumer robotics, arguing that standards compliance does not guarantee ethical acceptance, especially when marginalized demographics are excluded from the design process. Menon also analyzes the ethical calculus of autonomous vehicles, robot-assisted surgery, and lethal weapons, stressing that human dignity and consent must remain central to AI decision-making.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
University of Hertfordshire, Red Cross
Products
ChatGPT
Also
SAE

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Embedded.fm · 1h 03m

    525: Some Sort of Metal

    Dr. Tom Williams, a computer science professor at the Colorado School of Mines and author of 'Degrees of Freedom: On Robotics and Social Justice,' discusses the intersection of robotics, ethics, and social justice. He argues that roboticists must consider societal impacts, citing Waki Kamino’s research on MLB’s automated ball-strike system and the teleoperation of robots like EngKey. Williams advocates for integrating ethics into engineering education through methods like participatory design and improvisation to address issues of race, gender, and labor.

    Robotics & autonomyCareers & education
    10 chapters

  • The Robot Report Podcast · 1h 35m

    Kate Darling on the Future of Robotics and AI Ethics

    Dr. Kate Darling, research lead for ethics and society at the AI Institute, discusses the intersection of robotics and social science with hosts Steve Crow and Mike Oitzman. They cover the recent RoboBusiness 2023 event, highlighting the industry's focus on humanoids like Agility Robotics' Digit and Figure AI's robot, as well as the integration of Generative AI in robotics. Darling shares her perspective on human-robot interaction, using the Stop & Shop Marty robot and public perception of autonomous vehicles like Waymo and Cruise to illustrate the social challenges of deploying robots in shared spaces.

    Robotics & autonomyAI & machine learning
    8 chapters

  • Embedded.fm · 58m

    393: Don't Drive My Baby Off the Table

    Professor Carlotta Berry of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology discusses her book, Mobile Robotics for Multidisciplinary Study, and her approach to teaching robotics using Arduino and ROS. She explains the distinction between mechatronics and robotics, detailing how she uses platforms like the Arduino Mega and SparkFun RedBoard to teach control architectures, PID tuning, and sensor integration to undergraduate students. Berry also addresses the ethical implications of AI in robotics, advocating for diverse teams to mitigate bias, and shares her work with BlackInRobotics.org and her consulting firm, NoireSTEMinist.

    Robotics & autonomyMicrocontrollers & dev platforms
    12 chapters

  • Embedded.fm · 1h 00m

    207: I Love My Robot Monkey Head (Repeat)

    Professor Ayanna Howard of Georgia Tech discusses her research on designing robots to interact with children with special needs, focusing on kinematic modeling, emotional expression, and the phenomenon of human-robot trust. She explains how robots like the Nao and Darwin Mini are used to engage users, detailing the technical challenges of creating fluid motion and reactive behaviors. Howard also addresses the 'uncanny valley,' the risks of over-trusting autonomous systems like self-driving cars, and offers advice for hobbyists and students on getting started with robotics platforms like Lego Mindstorms and ROS.

    Robotics & autonomyEmbedded firmware
    9 chapters

  • Embedded.fm · 1h 00m

    207: I Love My Robot Monkey Head

    Professor Ayanna Howard of Georgia Tech discusses her research on humanoid robots interacting with children with special needs, focusing on kinematic modeling, robot operating system (ROS), and the psychological phenomenon of human-robot trust. She explains how robots like the Nao and Darwin Mini are used to study emotional responses and behavioral nuances, while also addressing the risks of over-trusting autonomous systems like self-driving cars. The conversation covers educational robotics platforms like Lego Mindstorms and Dash & Dot, and Howard's work with EngineerGirl.org to mentor young women in engineering.

    Robotics & autonomyEmbedded firmware
    9 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by Robot Talk. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.