A robot that relaxes when shown kindness, and flinches at anger!

London, July 30 : It has a beating heart, a breathing belly and appears to react emotionally to the way it is treated - no it is not a human being but a mechanical robot 'with feelings'.

Scientists have developed Heart Robot, which relaxes when it is shown kindness and flinches at anger. Heart Robot has sensors that respond to movement, noise and touch. Cuddle him, and he seems to soak up the affection. His limbs become limp, his eyelids lower, his breathing relaxes, and his heart beat slows down.

But if he is given a violent shake, or shouted at, he gets upset. He flinches, his hands clench, his breathing and heart rate speed up, and his eyes widen.

Created by scientists at the University of the West of England in Bristol, the evolutionary machinery was designed to explore how humans react to a machine that appears to show feelings.

Holly Cave, who helped organise the Emotibots event at the Science Museum where the machine was unveiled, said: "Heart Robot looks like a cross between ET and Gollum and is about the size of a small child."

"He's half robot, half puppet. You move him around by hand, but he has innate responses that appear emotional. Different children react to him very differently. They either want to hug and cuddle him, and look after him like a doll or baby, or they just want to scare him," Telegraph quoted Cave, as saying.

ANI