More Than Machines?: The Attribution of (In)Animacy to Robot Technology

Laura Voss

Open Access Published by transcript Verlag 2021

More Than Machines?

The Attribution of (In)Animacy to Robot Technology

Laura Voss

In the series Science Studies

https://doi.org/10.1515/9783839455609

Overview
Contents

About this book

We know that robots are just machines. Why then do we often talk about them as if they were alive? Laura Voss explores this fascinating phenomenon, providing a rich insight into practices of animacy (and inanimacy) attribution to robot technology: from science-fiction to robotics R&D, from science communication to media discourse, and from the theoretical perspectives of STS to the cognitive sciences. Taking an interdisciplinary perspective, and backed by a wealth of empirical material, Voss shows how scientists, engineers, journalists - and everyone else - can face the challenge of robot technology appearing »a little bit alive« with a reflexive and yet pragmatic stance.

Author / Editor information

Laura Voss is a science manager at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München. With a background in organizational, occupational, and neuro-cognitive psychology, she previously worked both as a science and technology studies researcher and science manager for international robotics R&D consortiums, and at the Technische Universität München.

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	1
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	5
Acknowledgements Open Access Download PDF	7
Preface Open Access Download PDF	9
1. Robots Wanted – Dead And/Or Alive Open Access Download PDF	11
2. Disciplinary Context and Terminology Open Access Download PDF	31
3. Making Robots: In/Animacy Attributions in Robotics Research and Development Open Access Download PDF	53
4. Showing Off Robots: In/Animacy Attributions in Robotics Demonstrations, Science Communication, and Marketing Open Access Download PDF	75
5. Reporting on Robots: In/Animacy Attributions in Media Discourse Open Access Download PDF	105
6. Conclusions … and Openings Open Access Download PDF	129
References Open Access Download PDF	155
List of Figures Open Access Download PDF	205
List of Abbreviations Open Access Download PDF	207
Appendix Open Access Download PDF	209

(Deutsch)

Language: English
Publisher: transcript Verlag
Audience: Professional and scholarly;
Pages
- Main content: 216
Keywords: Artificial Intelligence; Animacy; Anthropomorphism; Agency; Technology; Society; Science; Sociology of Technology; Sociology of Culture; Sociology of Work and Industry; Sociology

eBook

Published: February 27, 2021
ISBN: 9783839455609