"Public Attitudes To Androids: Robot Gender, Tasks, & Pricing".pdf

Science fiction has exposed us to androids for over 50 years, with a "robot" being a mechanical apparatus performing human tasks and an "android" being a robot that looks and acts like a human. Hundreds of universities and corporations are developing androids, which could become a huge industry. The current state of technology includes advancements such as WABOT-1, Klaus, and ASIMO, a humanoid robot that can interpret postures and gestures. Entrepreneurs are building various robotic components, and advances in materials are being tested for synthetic body parts.

A study was conducted to determine public attitudes towards androids, with a survey assessing preferences for android household tasks, cost, and design issues. Respondents thought android technology would be ready for commercial use by 2015, preferring medium-sized, female-voiced, and human-shaped androids. Both men and women preferred a female android, with women willing to pay $1,700 more than men. Consumers were interested in flexible payment options and were concerned with cost and safety.

The results suggest that the American public is willing to invest in robots/androids for simple domestic purposes, with cost and safety issues needing to be addressed. Android service companies could target specific customer bases with different types of androids.