Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed a mathematical model to help robots learn social skills. The model aims to improve the relationship between humans and machines and expand the area of robot application. The press service of the university announced the development.

During the experiment, scientists conducted a simulation on a two-dimensional grid, where robots had to fulfill physical and social goals. Finding a tree on a grid and watering it was a physical goal, while figuring out what another robot was going to do was a social goal. Depending on the social goal, the robot had to help or stop the other device. The researchers believe that by teaching robots basic social skills, such as helping each other, people will be able to expand the area of interaction between them and machines.

The social skills of machines will help teach robots to help each other and quickly assimilate with society, making robots full-fledged workers. In addition, the new model will help to quantitatively analyze social relations. Also, the data obtained can later be used to study autism or the actions of antidepressants.

The researchers identified three types of robots. Zero-level devices serve only physical purposes. Robots in the first category can think both physically and socially, but they think that all other robots act out of physical motives. These are ideal workers for complex industrial areas, as well as ideal candidates as wage workers in hazardous areas of production. Tier 2 machines, on the other hand, imply that other robots are also capable of social relationships. These are potentially robot leaders who will be able to organize the work of first-order robots, optimizing their actions, and building them into the desired algorithm.

The scientists then gave a few people a look at recordings of how robots acted in a given situation and asked them to rate the social behavior of the machines. The researchers found out that the criteria by which the model and people determine social relations, in most cases, coincide. This gives humanity hope that, after acquiring robots in the future, people will receive not just separate units, but robots will be able to unite with each other in a metaverse, where they will interact at different levels, improving the productivity of their own work for humanity.

The researchers plan to equip robots with a neural network to accelerate the accumulation of social experience - teach robots to help each other. In addition, they are working on a 3D sensor system that will allow robots to independently perform more complex operations, such as controlling household appliances.

In conclusion, the development of a mathematical model for robots to learn social skills is a significant step towards improving human-robot interaction and expanding the area of robot application. The model will help teach robots to help each other, quickly assimilate with society, and become full-fledged workers. The new model will also help to quantitatively analyze social relations and can later be used to study autism or the actions of antidepressants. The development of a neural network and 3D sensor system will further enhance the capabilities of robots and enable them to perform more complex operations.