This article has been excerpted from The Equality Machine: Harnessing Digital Technology for a Brighter, More Inclusive Future by Orly Lobel. For years, Japan has been the indisputable leader in robotics. If Tanzania's Olduvai Gorge is the cradle of humanity, Japan is the cradle of the humanoids, developing the first humanoid robot in the 1970s and many iterations since. Japanese roboticists pioneered the notion that artificial intelligence should be embodied. While the West focused more on algorithms in the abstract, Japanese institutions believed that AI innovation should be developed alongside--or rather, within--a physical artificial body. Japanese roboticists have been leading the way in realizing the aspiration to create robots that offer companionship to humans for decades.

On September 28, Amazon introduced Astro, a "household robot." Amazon's launch video promises that the $999 robot, which is squat with two wheels and a rectangular screen that features two orbs for eyes, will be able to do things like watch your home or join impromptu dance parties. This being Amazon, there's good reason to be skeptical, especially since Astro is essentially a giant camera on wheels that will watch everything you do. So why would anyone be happy to have one in the house? The reason lies in the way our brains are wired.

Every morning, I am stirred awake by one of the dumbest creatures in existence: a once-abandoned, now adopted 3-year-old orange tabby cat named Cheddar. In exchange for this wake up service, Cheddar gets free meals, pricy vet trips, and plenty of scritches, as do tens of millions of other pets in the U.S. alone. The more cynical among us might say that pets are little more than expensive and far too loud roommates. Not only do you have to regularly pay attention to and feed these roomies, but oftentimes you'll need to fork over lots of money to keep them alive, particularly for breeds predisposed to health problems. It shouldn't be surprising, then, that for decades, some segment of the population has hoped that these furballs could one day be replaced by mechanical facsimiles with less upkeep and cost but all the benefits of domestic companionship--a robotic pet, in so many words.

Robotic pets help the elderly in care homes be happy and mingle more, a new study found. Mechanical cats, dogs, bears and even baby seals can offer the companionship of the real thing - but without the constant feeding and walking. 'Robopets' are small animal-like robots with the look and behaviour of real pets and give the elderly comfort and joy while reducing agitation and loneliness, The Times reported. Playing with the robots also increased social interaction with other residents, family members and staff - as well as often sparking conversation, researchers at the University of Exeter found. Robotic pets help the elderly in care homes be happy and mingle more, a new study found.