Do you like hearing a desk robot move, or prefer it to be silent? (1 Viewer)

[Jerry]

I’ve been thinking about this lately and I’m curious how people feel.

For desk-side robots that move their head or arms slowly and expressively,
some make a bit of mechanical or servo sound when they move,
while others are almost completely silent.

Personally, I’m kind of torn.
A little bit of sound can make the robot feel more “alive” to me,
but when I’m working or trying to focus, I sometimes wish it were quieter.

• Does movement sound bother you on your desk?
• Or does it add some charm or character?
• Do you feel differently when it’s just for fun vs when you’re working?

Would love to hear your thoughts.

 

[Chris]

Quiet. Main reason I prefer desktop robots now is because I don’t have to listen to the loud stomping of ground robots moving around.

Depends on the type of sound, I don’t mind the sound of Ropet’s arm movements, but dislike the mechanical sounds from Vector.

Also the type of vocalisations the robot makes also play a big influence, I can’t stand the vocalisations Ropet makes so have mine on mute, same with Vector, I can’t stand running it more than a few minutes. While I find Aibi is much more tolerable to be left on for extended periods of time unmuted.

Sounds could add character, but that might wear off quickly and become annoying leading to a reluctance to use the robot. I feel the quieter and less annoying a robot sounds, the more likely it can seamlessly integrate into a person’s existing routine. I only run quieter bots when I’m working.