Over the next few months, Lili Ling sent her new gynoid robot on many missions, visiting all her urban clients and even adding some new ones. The results astounded her – and indeed Sarah and Jekyll Rival back at JE as well – in that nearly all the clients responded quite positively to the gynoid. Several commented that, although they knew the robot was not literally Lili herself, their sense of communication with Lili through the gynoid puppet seemed almost natural. Indeed, several decided to request something similar for themselves!
This serendipity prompted a quick response by roboticist Sarah, who distributed a survey asking clients about their experiences with the robots as well as what they'd want in their own robots. Most of them understood the context within which Lili's robot operated – more of a puppet than an autonomous being – and responded accordingly. The simplistic body plates (only vaguely representing skin or clothes) and the exposed mechanical structures did not bother them at all, but they did prefer that the robot present a face that more or less resembled a human face. They seemed especially curious about how to operate the robot puppet, and the limits associated with those operational aspects.
Sarah and Jekyll Rival found they could easily produce a new line of robots specifically reflecting the client wishes. They offered both android (male) and gynoid (female) versions, but all followed the same basic pattern of simplified body representation, exposed mechanics, and minimal autonomy. The body plates and other cosmetic details (e.g., artificial hair) could be customized to reflect client preferences. As part of the overall package, they also offered a complete control package that included the necessary computer hardware and software, virtual reality headset, and other components. They developed several options for installation and training, allowing clients to choose which approach they might prefer.
Demand proved brisk for this new line of basic robots, which could be fairly quickly fabricated at relatively modest cost. However, a few clients sought more advanced models, capable of operating at greater distances and with greater autonomy – we will return to this more challenging project in later blog episodes.
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