2008-Jan-28 - A Robot as Shrink or as Nurse...
Due to a shortage of geriatric helpers, Japan has found a remarkable solution.The government has commissioned various factories to construct a robot , which can serve as a geriatric assistant.Car manufacturer Honda has already designed a model that can dance and serve tea.Toyota showed a hominoid robot that is able to play the violin.
Not only nursing robots will be used in the near future but there is already a possibility to consult a "shrink"robot, called a robot-coach by its inventor, the psychologist Jaap Hollander.This robot can't give you a ready- made answer, but a structure to find a solution yourself.The robot-coach doesn't say: "Come sit down and tell me what the matter is!".It is above all to the point. It asks:"Which problem do you want to tackle today?" Your answer must be maximal eight words."We might change a few things,"says Jaap Hollander, psychologist and together with colleague Jeffrey Wijnberg the brains behind www.mindmentor.com. It's a computer programme offering the latest way of psychiatric help.It creates an environment that enables people to find a solution themselves. After paying 4.95 euro you are asked to spend an hour and start the test.The programme has its limitations: it has no intuition, a limited linguistic feeling and it is not creative.It isn't fit for very depressive people.Above all it might be an obstacle that the programme is in English, because the programmers didn't speak Dutch. Hollander and Wijnberg left it be like that. Anyone who finished a secondary school in the Netherlands can read the test.But....
I don't know if it is only me, but I prefer a personal approach and treatment
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2008-Jan-21 - He might have been successful...
A couple of years ago the always so peaceful and quiet village, where I live, was startled by the news that a real crime had occurred here. Everybody talked about it. It was in all the local newspapers, even on TV.
Before I begin telling you the story, I first have to explain how the situation is in our small shopping centre. In one of the shops we have a small sub post office in one of the corners. There is always a lady helping at the desk. She knows everybody in our village, but on the afternoon of a certain day in summer a man, whom she didn't know, stood waiting in the queue. She didn't pay too much attention to him, because she was rather busy, but the shopkeeper noticed that the newcomer was a bit nervous and had shifty eyes. He also held his right hand in the pocket of his jacket. The man waited until the last customer had left, then he went to the desk and asked in a rough voice :"Money...money ... quick..."He took his hand out of his pocket and waved with something which looked like a gun." Money... money... come on... hurry up..." The lady behind the desk responded coolly:"Sorry sir, I am afraid we haven't got any money ". Now the man got really nervous and desperately he cried : "Money in safe!" She answered:"No, I haven't got the key!" At this point John, the shopkeeper jumped over the counter and tried to catch the man by his coat. The so-called bankrobber startled and escaped through the backdoor, leaving his gun, which proved to be a toy gun. The shopkeeper of the shop opposite the post office heard the noise and ran out of his shop. John signalled to him that he had to ring the police, that's one-one-two for emergencies, while he continued pursuing the culprit. The police were very soon at the crime scene and were looking everywhere, there was even a helicopter trying to find him, but all in vain. They never found him! And since that time there haven't been any other "armed" robberies. The silly-billy had probably learnt his lesson. He might have been successful with a real gun!!
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