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

• VerfasserIn: Voss, Laura
• Year of Publication: 2021
• Edition: 1st ed.
• Language: English
• Series: Science Studies
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (216 p.)
• Other title: Frontmatter --; Contents --; Acknowledgements --; Preface --; 1. Robots Wanted – Dead And/Or Alive --; 2. Disciplinary Context and Terminology --; 3. Making Robots: In/Animacy Attributions in Robotics Research and Development --; 4. Showing Off Robots: In/Animacy Attributions in Robotics Demonstrations, Science Communication, and Marketing --; 5. Reporting on Robots: In/Animacy Attributions in Media Discourse --; 6. Conclusions … and Openings --; References --; List of Figures --; List of Abbreviations --; Appendix
• ISBN: 383945560X
• Hierarchical level: Monograph
• Statement of Responsibility: Laura Voss

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.