Apple’s ELEGNT AI aims to make home robots feel like companions

Apple has developed a new framework called ELEGNT that enables robots to move more naturally and expressively when interacting with humans, potentially making them more engaging as home assistants.

The breakthrough technology: The Expressive and Functional Movement Design (ELEGNT) framework allows non-humanoid robots to communicate intentions, emotions, and attitudes through their movements while performing tasks.

• The system was tested using a lamp-like robot with a 6-axis robotic arm and a head containing a light and projector
• Researchers programmed both functional movements for completing tasks and expressive movements to convey the robot’s internal state
• The design was inspired by animated characters, specifically drawing parallels to Pixar’s Luxo Jr.

Research findings and user response: A study involving 21 participants demonstrated that expressive movements significantly improved human engagement with the robot.

• Users reported more positive interactions during social tasks like playing music or conversation
• The expressive movements made potentially intrusive robot behaviors more acceptable to users
• Functional tasks like adjusting lighting showed less impact from the added expressiveness
• Older participants showed lower receptivity to expressive robot movements

Technical implementation: ELEGNT represents a shift in robotics design philosophy that balances functionality with social interaction.

• The framework integrates traditional robotic considerations like task fulfillment and spatial constraints
• Movement design incorporates elements like intention, attention, and emotions
• Researchers emphasized the importance of balancing engaging movements with efficient task completion

Industry implications: Apple’s research suggests a new direction for home robotics that prioritizes user experience and emotional connection.

• Current home robots primarily focus on functional tasks, like robot vacuums
• The research indicates future robots may need to balance efficiency with social engagement
• Implementation may require customizable behavior settings to accommodate different user preferences
• The framework could influence how major tech companies approach home robotics development

Looking ahead: The social robotics challenge: The success of future home robots may depend more on their ability to create comfortable interactions than on pure efficiency.

• The research will be presented at the 2025 Designing Interactive Systems conference in Madeira
• Development of socially acceptable robots will likely require input from animators and behavioral psychologists alongside engineers
• The ultimate challenge lies in creating robots that people actively want to interact with, rather than merely tolerate