Episode 1 Six Robots & Us

Robots. We're on the verge of science fiction becoming reality.

-Thank you.

-They look like us...

..we trust them with our lives...

..and they are starting to walk amongst us,

carrying their robot brains out of the lab and into the big bad world.

But just how useful are they?

Not in some distant future, but right now.

Where can they make our lives easier?

And where do they still need work?

Oh, my God!

What the hell?

It could strangle me.

In a unique experiment...

Robot delivery.

..six ordinary British families...

SQUEALS

..all with specific needs...

..will welcome six very different robots into their homes.

Hello, family.

Take me to your leader, please.

From trying to get them fit...

..to helping care for the sick...

Wow!

..enabling them to make sense of the world...

..and becoming indispensable in the workplace.

-Thank you.

-But in the end,

will their families want to keep them?

It's just a really exciting moment.

Or switch them off?

You're in my way.

Sorry, robot.

Around Great Britain,

six unique robots are being delivered to their new families.

What's that film I used to really like with Will Smith in it?

-I, Robot?

-I, Robot.

Do you remember that film? See, I love that film.

Ethan, Casper is here.

Do you remember the film 2001: A Space Odyssey? HAL?

That was scary.

Oh, my word.

I don't want to wake up in the night and it's looking over me.

Each robot is programmed by a leading British university.

And throughout the trial,

they will be watched by psychologist Dr Caroline Jay

and robotics professor Jonathan Rossiter.

I think we're asking a lot of these families

to take the robots into their homes, to interact with them

and to do that over quite a long period of time.

People's expectations of robots are incredibly high,

so it will be really interesting

to see how their expectations and reality are slightly different.

They want to see if the robots can rise to the challenge

and if humans form lasting bonds with them.

What can you do?

It's one thing to test robots in the lab.

The minute we take them outside of the lab,

all of a sudden the outside world has all of these obstacles,

these barriers we're not expecting.

I don't understand.

And it can be really difficult for a robot to deal with that.

Is it going to look like a Teletubby?

Will it talk in a human voice?

-ROBOTICALLY:

-Pleased to meet you. Would you like a cup of tea?

Arriving on the south coast,

FitBot has been specially programmed by Plymouth University

to try and help a family get in shape.

You thought you were going to get

-something to come and do the hoovering.

-Yes, I did.

That's what I still keep hoping it might do.

-You all right, mate?

-Do you want to come in?

180 miles further east in Hampshire, Beam is being unboxed.

A mobile audiovisual robot,

it's tasked with helping lonely dad Vin Sharma

hang out with his family,

even though he's miles away, in Spain.

We are really excited.

The kids can't wait, so, yeah,

it would be nice to see what he actually looks like in robot form.

But our story starts in Blackburn,

where single mum Amanda Ainsworth and her six children

are waiting for their robot to arrive from Westminster University.

It has been specially customised

to help one member of the family in particular -

five-year-old Isaac, who has a learning delay.

What do you think it can do?

I think he's a little bit nervous.

He just whispered in my ear, "Is it time to see the robot now?"

So I think he is excited as well.

Meet Tutorbot,

an autonomous programmable humanoid with speech and facial recognition.

It's got hands that can grasp and

the ability to seek out and look at a human face.

But its job for the next two weeks

is to try and help Isaac overcome his learning delay

and improve his speech.

Wow!

Do you like it?

He looks a bit nervous.

He does, doesn't he? He's not too sure at the moment.

TUTORBOT BLEEPS

I'm Isaac's friend and I'm staying with him for two weeks.

And I love to play.

He wants you to be his friend, look.

He's looking at us.

Robots' ability to appear as though they are looking at people

is crucial for their success.

It wants you.

You can touch it if you want.

In fact, just like us, they use both sound and vision to do so.

Hello.

Four microphones around its head enable Tutorbot to pinpoint

the exact source of Isaac's voice.

Put your hands up.

Much like human ears.

Put your hands up.

Maybe it's our northern accent.

It only understands a southern accent.

Say, can you dance?

Can you dance?

You've got to speak really loud.

Dance.

Can you dance?

TUTORBOT PLAYS MUSIC

It's beautiful.

Tutorbot has broken the ice,

but helping improve Isaac's speech will require more than gimmicks.

Isaac has got a really rare form of dwarfism.

He's got a learning delay as well.

His speech is behind, so he can't read, can't really concentrate.

He gets bored really quickly.

Isaac is falling behind his class.

One-to-one teaching isn't helping, and his confidence is suffering.

I know he wants to be able to speak like everybody else.

It's like part of him is locked in.

What he thinks and what he feels, all of that is trapped

because he's not got the vocabulary to tell us about it.

Some research has recently shown that putting robots into classrooms

can really help with children's learning.

The robots are able to provide feedback to the children

in a completely neutral manner.

With a human teacher, they hold back a little bit.

They are more reluctant to give the wrong answer

because they feel they might be judged.

With a robot, that isn't a problem.

Get ready. When the eyes turn blue...

-You have to say grasp.

-Grass.

Not grass. Grasp.

-Grasp.

-Good boy!

Oh, what's he doing now?

Hand me something, please.

Well done. You did it!

Clever boy!

Oh, what's this?

It does genuinely seem to be encouraging him to speak more.

Robots understand what humans are saying

by analysing the shapes of their words.

Grasp.

Grasp.

Every word creates its own unique wave form.

Grasp.

By comparing the shape of a word

against a database of thousands of examples, a match can be made.

Oh, my gosh!

He's quite protective of it, and territorial.

I think maybe that he's not going to be happy to share with the others.

But I think, emotionally, it's going to be a good support for him.

Sit down.

OK. Give me a second.

THEY CHEER

It tickles!

300 miles away,

Plymouth University has delivered their robot to a sports centre

to meet its new family.

-Looking forward to this, Cat?

-Yeah, how about you?

The Rockets, who want to get fit.

After you.

Oh!

-What's this?

-It's really small.

It's like something from Halloween.

One of them Halloween characters.

Aah!

-It's just a sheet moving.

-Oh, my God, it's moving.

It's moving, look. It's like ET.

-I just want to see what it looks like.

-I know. Look.

-Oh, my God.

-Oh, my God.

-Wow!

-Oh, he's brilliant.

-That looks so cool.

He's got little sweatbands on.

I know. It's brilliant.

-I think it's lovely.

-It's more lifelike than I was expecting.

Yes. It is. Yes.

FitBot is a programmable humanoid with facial and speech recognition,

but it can also identify basic human emotions.

Over the next six weeks...

-That sounds like you.

-..Plymouth University want to find out

if it can become a credible fitness and nutrition expert.

What did it just do then?

Stretching.

FitBot is based on one of the latest commercially available robots

and that's a really good example of using generalised robotics

for particular needs.

Thank you.

That is really cool.

Since they both turned 50,

things have gone a bit pear-shaped for mum Jackie and dad Matt.

This is the heaviest I've ever been.

Come here. My waist now at the moment

is round about 40 inches, which it's never been.

-That was really funny.

-I know. I thought he was off down the road.

Where are you going?

Up until five years ago, Matt's job as a fitness instructor

in the military kept him in tip-top condition.

Oh, my God!

-Daddy looking young.

-Oh, God.

Look at him. There's nothing on him, look.

And he's got hair.

-Dark hair.

-It's you two that made me go grey.

Inspired by dad Matt,

13-year-old Cat wants to follow him into the forces and do the same job.

Cat would really like to join the Air Force.

At the age of 17 and a half.

It's really hard as a mum,

because you want to look after them all the time.

You want to make sure that they are OK all the time.

I don't want to let her go.

Jackie.

Success.

To achieve facial recognition,

robots scan for human faces,

identifying them by the unmistakable T shape

of the eyes and nose.

But FitBot can go a stage further.

It can generate a 3D scan of a face,

measuring and recording the unique dimensions of individual features...

..and processing a facial recognition map in under a minute.

The Rockets will trial FitBot for a month...

..during which they've agreed to follow

the specially-designed fitness and nutrition plan.

Go, go, go.

Thank you.

64.

Thank you.

FitBot will monitor the family's weight and calorific intake

and produce daily progress reports.

I think it's amazing.

Did not expect to see it as... lifelike as what it is.

I don't know about you, but it makes it more acceptable.

It looks like... a human being.

It really does.

There's a really interesting question we should ask ourselves.

What do we want our robots to be like?

Do we want them to be like us in the future, to behave like us,

to look like us, to do the things that we do?

Or do we think they should be different?

Yes, please!

Really, there's no need for them to look like humans

except for acceptance.

Come on.

So if I have a robot in my house and it looks just like a human,

then I'm probably going to be at ease with that

and I'm going to behave as if that is a human being.

1,000 miles away, in the south of Spain,

-the Sharma family from Hampshire...

-Hola!

..are enjoying their last moments of summer holiday together.

We're a very close family. We spend every day together.

We're all best friends. We do everything together.

Go and ask the lady for aceitunas.

And don't forget to add on por favor.

They hope their robot can help them overcome a painful separation.

Dad, Vin, has moved to Spain for work,

so, tonight, mum Angela, 13-year-old Arya,

and five-year-old Zion must fly back to the UK to spend

the next three months without him.

It's been a perfect six weeks that we've had.

We are going to say goodbye.

We're going to be apart.

So, yeah...

There is a huge hole in our lives when he's away.

We get on with it the best we can,

but it's not the same as having Dad home.

What's been your best bit about being here, Zion, in Spain?

Seeing you.

-Seeing who?

-Oh, seeing you.

Seeing me? I didn't even tell you to say that, Zion. Wow!

-Cheers, Ange.

-Here's to us.

Back home in Hampshire, a rather heavy box has arrived.

We just got back three days ago,

so the kids are still feeling a little bit upset

with Dad not being here,

but they're so excited to see him in robot form.

It's exciting for all of us.

It's something new, and if it means getting a little bit closer to Vin,

then, yeah, we're game.

This is Beam, a tele-presence device

that combines the connectivity of a tablet

with a motorised platform with steerable wheels

that can be remotely operated by a user anywhere in the world.

Beam has been successful in the business world,

and helping doctors deliver medical care to remote locations.

It's going to be really interesting to see whether Beam helps them

feel closer together,

because they've got that presence of their father

in the home the whole time,

or whether it might make him seem further away.

Basically, Beam, has got to take the place of Dad in this family.

Do you miss him?

It's all right. You are allowed to miss your dad.

She's taking after me.

-I'm like that.

-Three times.

Three times she has cried, hasn't she?

SHE CHUCKLES

Oh, my God.

OK.

Wow! OK, this is quite neat.

So where's Daddy?

Oh, my God.

Hey, guys!

THEY LAUGH

Hello!

This is going to freak me out.

-Hello.

-Come closer to the camera at the bottom again.

-Can you see my fingers?

-Can you see his fingers?

What's that? Is that your hand?

Let me try and touch it.

Yeah, hold Zion's hand.

There you go, I'm holding your hand!

But the Beam's USP is its manoeuvrability.

Do you want to go in the kitchen? Go on, then, go, we'll follow you.

Don't fall down the stairs!

From his laptop, Vin can use the Beam app to drive it where he wants.

Oh, my God. Do you know what?

I really hope this is insured because I just have a feeling...

It has two wide-angle cameras,

and four microphones,

plus a built-in aid to help navigate obstacles.

Oh, my God, this is freaking me out.

It's actually freaking me out.

I think I'm quite good at it, actually, look.

I'm going to turn around.

It does feel like I'm there.

This actually does.

You're this much in my face when you're home, as well,

so, yeah, it does feel like...

He's already starting to understand that he does have some real control

in this situation.

If I get annoyed, this is what I'll do.

Oh, my God, can you please stop doing that?

Move back!

He's discovering ways to... annoy the family.

And he's interacting with the environment physically.

To bump into things. To start to move things is really exciting.

This could do some damage in the house.

I know, exactly!

Oh, this is going to be a nightmare.

HIGH-PITCHED BEEPING

Ange, you all right?

I'm going to kill you.

I'm actually going to kill you.

Ever since he moved away,

the Sharmas have missed having meals together,

but tonight, thanks to Beam,

Vin can take his place at the head of the table.

Why don't you shout up to the kids

and tell them to come down for dinner?

Yo, Zion, Arya, get your ass down!

-Louder.

-Arya, Zion, dinner time!

Hurry up!

-Hello.

-Hello.

Hello, family.

-Hello!

-Hello.

-Daddy's here for dinner.

OK, guys.

Here we go, Arya.

-Pasta.

-Lovely.

Looks tasty.

It's not as nice as your pasta, but just something I've rustled up.

Zion, how's your food, how's your food, baby?

It's good.

ANGE LAUGHS

What have you done today?

Just been working outside of that, really, nothing much.

Missing you guys!

What does it feel like, me talking to you through the robot?

-Does it feel nice?

-Yeah.

But a bit weird.

Does it not feel like Daddy's there with you?

Yeah, it does.

I have no idea what the next couple of weeks are going to have,

but I know for a fact that

he's going to have a lot of fun with this!

Come on, hurry up.

-Robot's next.

-Unless the family carries the Beam

between the floors of their three-storey town house,

Vin's movement will be limited to the kitchen and lounge.

-Guys?

-Yeah?

-I need a charge.

But he can turn on and off at will,

and top up his batteries all from his remote location.

OK, go on, charge yourself up.

Stop!

Adios!

Bye, love you loads!

OK, how annoying is your dad going to get over the next few weeks?

Rarr!

Back in Blackburn,

it's day three of the Tutorbot experiment.

Morning.

Waa!

Mum Amanda has promised Isaac he can play speech games before school.

I want the robot!

Yeah, in a minute, eat your breakfast.

Robot!

Robot!

Ow!

As soon as he woke up,

he was asking for it, and he wanted to play with it.

HE SQUEALS

Yeah, he definitely likes it.

Robot!

Although it might be a different way of learning...

..maybe he will be able to read with me and draw with me...

YELLING

..and do things that the other kids have done.

-Robot.

-Robot.

-Hello?

Hello?

BLEEP

He's back with us.

Good morning!

Have you had a nice sleep?

BLOOP

Westminster University has programmed Tutorbot

with algorithms designed to help Isaac practice his pronunciations.

-Word games.

-Let's play the first game.

He'll be asked a simple question,

and given three answers to choose from.

What can you find in a pencil case?

CHUCKLING

Aeroplane, castle, or pencil?

Pencil.

Pencil is the correct answer.

-Yeah!

-Well done.

Brilliant.

Isaac needs a certain amount of repetition

to really encourage him to learn his new words

and that's really great for a robot to do it

because it can do this repeat, and it's not going to get tired.

What can you find at the farm?

A pig.

Sheep, astronauts, or Beth?

A sheep.

Sheep is the correct answer. Well done.

Yay!

What can you find in the park?

A tomato, swings or a fish?

A swing.

A tomato is not the correct answer.

Oh, dear.

Sorry, Isaac. There was an error.

Isaac is doing everything right,

but the lesson algorithm in Tutorbot has failed.

So this is a real problem for Isaac,

because he's lacking confidence in his speech anyway.

It's really difficult for a mum in this situation.

Any time you put your child into a new situation,

you're going to worry about it.

What would you find in a jungle?

Monkey, robot or astronaut?

-Robot.

-The answer can be monkey, robot or astronaut.

-A robot.

-You can ask me help, repeat or exit.

-A robot.

-You can also use my tactile sensor to choose the answer.

-A robot.

The more he gets frustrated, perhaps the pitch of his voice changes.

-A robot.

-And then the robot finds it

more difficult to recognise his voice.

And that increases the frustration.

Speech recognition systems make mistakes.

If two conversations are going on at the same time,

we as humans are very good at separating those conversations.

This is a skill called blind source separation.

And this is what we do naturally, our brains are geared up for this.

Robots and computers find this really difficult.

Sorry, Isaac, there is an error.

It is my fault.

I've orchestrated a situation

where he's interested in actually playing with it,

and it won't do it.

Giraffe.

Take your time, Isaac.

And then it's like, all the work you've put in

to get him to a place where he's trying is for nothing.

So then I feel a bit guilty that I've...put him in that position.

-Go to sleep.

-OK, bye-bye.

Mum!

Isaac's not the only one heading off to school.

I don't want to go to year one.

All big boys go to year one.

Today, five-year-old Zion Sharma is starting big school...

Good boy.

..whilst his 13-year-old sister Arya is moving up to year nine.

Are you sure you're full?

Yes.

1,000 miles away in Spain, dad Vin is preparing to Beam in.

Of course I feel bad that I'm not there for the kids

on their first day.

But I also feel like I'm missing out on something

that I also find a very fond moment.

He won't tell me how to, like...

These are all real quality family moments

-that we should all be there for.

-All right, honey, hold on.

He's miles away from home,

but can Beam help Vin reassure his kids before they leave for school?

-Hello, I'm here.

-Oh, turn around.

-Hello.

-Turn.

-There.

-Hello!

Big hug.

You guys look weird, you're hugging a robot, guys, come on.

LAUGHTER

Zion, you looking forward to your first day back?

-Yeah.

-Can I come to school with you?

-No!

When I come to your school, when I'm outside,

-I'm just going to keep doing this.

-No!

LAUGHTER

-Stop, stop!

-Right, we're going to go, we're going to dash out.

Bye, baby. Mwah!

Mwah.

-Bye, Dad.

-Bye.

Bye!

I still feel like I'm parenting.

But it's not that same quality moment you have with your family.

It's still got something missing.

There's still a level of detachment there.

Vin comforted his kids, but can he support wife Angela?

Hello. You might as well follow me into the kitchen.

-You all right?

-Yeah, I'm all right.

Just the class just looked so much bigger than his little nursery one.

-SHE SNIFFS

-Or reception.

And he just looked really lost in it.

He just turned round and looked at me, like, don't leave me here.

At the end of the day I know exactly how he feels.

I know how you feel as well.

It's just all of it, I'm missing my husband,

missing my kids, and I'm sat on my own like a loner.

Well, your husband sounds nice, what's he like?

Yeah, a bit robotic.

LAUGHTER

-I love you, An.

-Oh, I love you.

Can you turn towards me?

In Plymouth, it's day four of the experiment.

Matt Rocket has discovered a new use for FitBot's facial recognition.

I knew it was you, Matt.

Follow me.

As long as it can see him, FitBot will move wherever he tells it to...

Turn towards me.

..which helps when trying to relocate it.

Come forward.

Most of the time.

-Oh, gosh. Oh, jeez.

-Oh!

LAUGHTER

Please let me rest for a while.

Facial recognition comes in handy every time they weigh in, too.

Daily checkup.

FitBot not only knows which member of the family it's talking to...

It can also gauge how they feel about their progress.

The horizontal line of Matt's lips work as

a basic guide to his emotions.

When he smiles,

the corners of Matt's mouth go above the horizontal line.

So FitBot computes his basic emotion as happiness.

But will it work for Jackie?

Right, there's two things, you know,

that ladies don't like to tell people.

One's their weight, and the other one's their age,

especially if they're unhappy with what they're weighing.

79 kilos.

While Matt's mouth went mostly above the line,

Jackie's is going the other way.

FitBot computes that she may not be pleased with her results...

..a scenario for which FitBot has also been programmed to deal with.

I wasn't expecting that, for it to do that.

I think it did notice that I...

-You weren't smiling.

-I weren't smiling, yeah,

and I wasn't very happy at that moment.

It made me feel better that it seemed to understand

how I was feeling.

And when it gave me the words of encouragement.

Being able to recognise emotions

is the first step towards a robot having empathy.

Of course, if somebody is smiling,

it doesn't necessarily mean that they're happy inside.

We can all put on a fake smile.

And it's really difficult for a computer algorithm to detect

the difference between a real smile and a fake smile.

-Go.

-30 seconds has begun.

The Rockets have set personal fitness targets...

..so Plymouth University can gauge FitBot's success

over the next six weeks.

But while Matt and Cat are embracing the challenge,

it's making Jackie uncomfortable.

Having to be weighed publicly, like that, yeah, it was...

..it was very difficult.

Quickly. Oh, shattered.

I did the London Marathon a couple of years ago,

and I'd sort of like got down to goal weight,

I was like, nine and a half stone.

And I've just put all that weight back on.

Right, let's do this, come on.

-There you go.

-Over the first week of the test...

Come on.

..our families start to become more used to their new guests.

Thanks for making me look like Katy Perry!

Our experts have asked them to keep video diaries of their progress.

ROBOT.

Shall we keep going?

Yes.

No? OK...

No, we want to!

-Should we go on?

-No!

Can we do some exercise?

Would you like to do some lunges?

Yes.

You will rock this with ease.

This is a really interesting social experiment

where the families have really engaged with the robots.

That's not something that I really would have expected.

I would think they would be a little bit more cautious,

so I'm really heartened by their embracing of robot technologies.

Today's Sunday, and my mum's having a lie-in.

And me, my dad and Zion have decided

to wake her up with the robot.

Good morning, sleeping beauty!

Are you filming this?

All three of you, out!

Yo, family, how you doing, guys?

In Hampshire...

Anyone home?

..Vin Sharma is making the most of his direct link to home...

..even occasionally checking in when the family is all out.

Zion?

Arya?

But long-distance driving can be hazardous.

Anyone home?

RATTLING

Come on, get yourself in.

What the hell?

Flipping heavy, come on. Lift him up.

Take it back.

He must have really done some damage, though, look.

All right, he's broken it, it says error detected.

Shall I put it on the dock?

No, turn it, let me see.

It's huge, it's such a big dent.

How... I just don't understand...

Oh, my God, I'm not even going to be able to fix that.

-BLEEP

-Oh, he's back.

Hey, guys.

Are you OK?

Where am I?

Don't start.

It's gone a bit wrong, Ange.

Yeah, I saw that when I came back and found you on the stairs.

-Oh, no!

-He's dangerous on wheels.

Vin is dangerous on wheels.

I think if he was just...

on the tablet, on a phone, he can't do much damage.

But certainly on wheels,

he has proven that he can cause a lot of damage if I'm not here

to supervise him. Come on, hurry up.

Like Beam, the majority of robots rely on motorised wheels to move...

..a system with severe limitations,

in a human world designed to be accessed with legs.

As progress is made,

robots are emerging that cannot only walk around like humans...

..but physically outdo them.

And robot designers are drawing inspiration

from every aspect of the natural world.

Although these robots have years of development behind them,

they currently draw too much power,

and are too unreliable for the domestic market.

But combined with the breakthroughs in facial,

speech,

and emotional recognition,

a new generation of smart, mobile robots is no longer out of reach.

You want to keep going?

No, no!

In Blackburn, Tutorbot may be standing on its own feet...

-Is that correct?

-No!

But after just ten days,

five-year-old Isaac has decided he's had enough.

No!

Nooo!

It's been a disappointing experience.

The more I tried to make him do it, the...

..more he dug his heels in.

ISAAC WAILS

Ever since Tutorbot's teaching algorithm malfunctioned,

Isaac has refused all interaction.

-What about grasp?

-No!

-Grasp!

-Aah!

-Grasp!

-Aah!

Hoping to encourage Isaac,

Amanda has organised for him to take Tutorbot into school

for a show and tell.

I think once he sees how excited the other children are about the robot,

I think that might rub off on him,

and he might...become more interested again.

I think he's looking at it as an opportunity to get rid of it

more than anything else!

A robot is a machine that can do a set of actions automatically.

Isaac's teacher Mrs Moss has planned a robot-themed lesson,

which will culminate in a grand entrance from Tutorbot.

Isaac? Do you have any robots at your house?

Yes!

We have Isaac's robot in school.

So, shall we go and get it?

Come on, then.

Come on.

-Pull that.

-So far, so good.

But everyone's hoping that Isaac will break his interaction embargo

to make Tutorbot perform for the class.

This is Isaac's robot.

And Isaac's robot...

..can do different things.

-Come on.

-Can you dance?

Can you dance?

Can you dance?

Can you dance?

Wait till its eyes go blue.

Can you dance?

So Isaac's doing exactly what he should be doing, isn't he?

But Tutorbot is not doing what he's supposed to be doing.

Can you dance?

One of the really big problems here

is that he's going to think that it's his fault

that Tutorbot is not responding in the correct way.

Not working.

Can you dance?

Shall we do it together?

Come on then.

Are we ready?

Can you dance?

Do you want to see the t'ai chi dance?

CHILDREN: Yeah!

-Yeah.

-Yes.

We have to be able to rely on the people who are teaching us

to get it right.

And so when it doesn't, there are real ethical implications.

Because when this kind of technology goes wrong,

it could potentially not just upset Isaac,

but really set him back.

Right, come on.

Luckily, Isaac's human teacher, Mrs Moss, isn't giving up.

Yeah, we're going to have a look at the story.

Did you enjoy showing the robot to your friends?

Yes! They said thank you for bringing the robot in.

-You're welcome.

-Oh!

He says you're welcome!

He did say thank you!

Charmed by Tutorbot's mistake,

Isaac agrees to his first word game in a week.

Which word begins with the letter I?

Snow or igloo?

Igloo.

Igloo is the correct answer.

-Well done.

-Yes, well done!

Which word begins with the letter A?

And or pot?

And.

And is the correct answer. Well done.

Yes, well done!

You're doing great. Brilliant work.

-Do you want more?

-Yes.

Yes.

-Yes. Reggie robot.

-Reggie robot.

-Dinosaur.

-Dinosaur.

Great stuff. Should we go on?

Yeah.

It's a huge relief that he's made friends with it.

He's had a great day at school with it,

all his friends have seen it.

-He's got it to do stuff.

-Dinosaur, roar!

I think I've underestimated... how hard that is for him,

and what an achievement it is for him when he gets it to work.

Firework, boom boom!

Isaac's time with Tutorbot is coming to an end.

But for others, it's just beginning.

Here they come!

270 miles away in Suffolk,

our next robot is just arriving,

and has been tasked with something completely different.

Oh, my word.

It's a robot on a wheeled office chair.

Neil, here it comes.

Do you think they've run out of money towards the end?

Neil and Linda Bowles are hoping for a care robot

that can assist with the chronic MS

that renders Linda wheelchair-bound.

Robot delivery!

CareBot ready.

CareBot is a prototype assistant for carers and the disabled.

The purpose-built chassis houses a traction-wheel base,

an interactive head,

a manipulator arm,

and an LCD monitor.

Oh, my word.

Oh, my giddy aunt!

It can recognise and track human voices,

issue medication reminders,

and even call an ambulance, in an emergency.

Hello.

HE LAUGHS

That face reminds me of something.

Something that's been in a film, or something.

It could strangle me, look, it's got a hand.

That's frightening, that hand.

That's an interesting first reaction, isn't it?

The first thing is to look at this scary gripper.

You have me at a disadvantage, robot, I don't know your name.

Do you speak English?

-Yes!

-Where are you from?

Why did the chicken cross the road?

Why did the chicken cross the road?

To see an idiot.

-Knock knock.

-Who's there?

The chicken.

LAUGHTER

Neil and Linda Bowles have been together for 38 years,

and married for 36.

You even know the date, don't you?

16th October. Brownie point scored.

They were publicans for years,

but all that changed in the summer of 2000,

when Linda was diagnosed with MS.

It is a progressive illness,

and Linda was typical,

in as much as she started getting worse very, very quickly.

I can't move my legs,

and I can't use my right arm.

This is very weak, so I've got half a left arm and a mouth.

-That's it.

-Mouth works perfectly!

That's it, that's all that's left.

And it's Neil that's taken on the responsibility

of being Linda's full-time carer.

I learned some skills since I've cared for you.

This takes the biscuit.

I rely on Neil for absolutely everything.

Every single need, for every minute of every day.

They're hoping that the robot can take some of the pressure off Neil

and give Linda some independence back.

You're never relaxed, are you?

No, you tend to always be looking at your watch

because you're thinking, hang on, I said I'd only be 20 minutes,

and it looks like it's going to be a bit more than that.

So unless you've got a professional person in,

looking after her, then I can't relax when I go out.

Lovely.

-That's how to press it on.

-I'll get out the way,

I don't know what it's going to do.

He's alive!

How do you do?

We are pleased to meet you.

For the next two weeks,

the University of Salford will test CareBot to see if it can assist

with Linda's physical care.

What time is it?

But also if its companion algorithm can boost

the couple's emotional wellbeing.

-SHE LAUGHS

-Can you tell me a joke?

THEY LAUGH

Excellent. Excellent.

-No way.

-Oh, where you going? Carrie, I'm here.

I'm here, Carrie!

Stop, stop! Hang on, hang on, hang on, Neil, hang on.

-Read the instructions.

-What's it say?

"To stop the robot..." Freeze!

Freeze!

It's very obedient, isn't it?

Look it in the face and tell it to.

Stare in the eyes.

Stop.

Stop.

Amazing. Fascinating.

We've just had an insight into...seeing him work.

We're saying him, I don't know why,

its name's Care-y, so maybe it's a girl, I'm not sure.

I definitely think it's a male, though.

Because when I asked a question,

it turned its back on me.

Where's he going now?

Oh, he's adorable, Neil.

-Isn't he?

-I just can't wait now to start experimenting with it,

-and seeing what it can do.

-Oh, it's going to be fascinating.

Because the little insight we've had today...

..is just, obviously, the tip of the iceberg,

but that's giving us an insight to say that it is

a very, very clever robot.

We have a care crisis in this country at the moment.

We find it very difficult to look after people properly.

We don't have the resources to do that from a human perspective.

So the potential for care robots is absolutely enormous.

If they're able to alleviate even a tiny part of the burden

that care places on humans at the moment,

that could be a very positive thing.

Having said that, it's really, really important

that they get this care right.

If a robot supplies the wrong medication to someone, for example,

that could have disastrous consequences.

For their second week with Beam, in Hampshire,

dad Vin has decided on a new strategy

to cope with the frustration of working away from home.

-Hello!

-Come closer, come closer.

I'm just taking my shoes off.

No, they stink, your socks stink.

He's using the robot as a plaything to bond with his kids.

It's nice for me to see that they're being distracted with something

that's fun, as opposed to being constantly reminded

that Dad's not there all the time.

Why are you so cute?

It's certainly quirky,

it's certainly a unique kind of way of communicating with each other.

Are you going to be the next Michael Jordan now?

Yeah.

I don't know what them and their dad get up to but they've had this thing

for the past week, let's try and freak Mum out.

That's the sort of thing they would do with their dad when he's here.

-All right, darlin!

-You guys are so flipping childish.

Such a child!

It's like he's in the house.

So, like, he's back in the house.

Five-year-old Zion in particular has grown physically attached

to his new robot dad.

Tell me if you get dizzy.

By using Beam as a way of playing with his kids,

it means that he doesn't feel that sort of separation

that he felt before,

and in fact ends up feeling closer to them.

Most of our communication at the moment is done via a screen.

Actually, we're now starting to move towards a situation

where people can touch each other virtually as well.

Haptic devices, which are force feedback devices

which can act a little bit like hands,

are fairly basic, but as they grow in sophistication,

it's going to be interesting to see whether people start to include

touch in their communication with other people,

as well as sound and vision.

But a few days later, the hijinks come to an abrupt end.

The family are shocked by the sad news of a neighbour's death.

Last night, Zion, putting him to bed, he suddenly got a bit teary.

He said to me, "Mummy, why do people pass away?"

I was just crushed from inside,

and I just really wanted Vin here.

Yo, Zion, hey!

-No.

-How you doing?

But can the Beam help Vin reassure his five-year-old son?

Come closer so I can see you properly,

so I can see you under there, with the bottom camera.

-That's the one, hello!

-Hello.

Big smile, give me a big smile.

Vin obviously really feels the distance in this kind of situation.

It's potentially very distressing for him

because he's not able to be there for his family

in the way he'd really like to be.

So tell me, tell me what's happening with your life.

It's reinforcing the link,

but it's also emphasising the distance.

Give us a kiss, mwah!

For Vin, the 1,000 miles between him and his family

has never felt so far.

To have a heart-to-heart with Zion, to be able to kind of hug him

and give him a bit of reassurance that Dad is still here,

that is completely missing.

I really do want to come home now.

-Just be honest.

-That's was Cat's. Scout's honour.

-That has been there months.

-No, it hasn't.

-Yes, it has, honest.

-No, it hasn't.

-That has been there months,

and I don't even like them.

Back in Plymouth,

the first week of FitBot's nutrition advice

has got the family discussing their bad habits.

So embarrassed, stop it.

In particular, mum Jackie, who needs to rethink the weekly shop.

Microwave popcorn.

What I'd like to get out of it is nutrition.

Cook more healthily for family and...not overfeed them.

I do, yeah, I overcompensate.

Because I work long hours, I'm not around a lot of the time,

I compensate by trying to feed them too much.

Like a smart device, FitBot is on hand to help...

..accessing the internet to relay nutrition information

on the weekly shop.

How many calories are in bacon medallions?

It does stop and make me think

how many calories are in the food that I'm cooking?

Jackie is using FitBot

really as somebody would use a tablet

and one of the online systems.

I wonder whether having a physical presence there is helping this

-or actually getting in the way a little bit.

-Mm, mm.

How many calories are in an apple?

Thank you.

As head chef, Jackie's agreed to follow the meal plan

suggested by FitBot in its role as nutritionist.

It's just made me more aware of what we're eating.

I've made more meals, rather than using jars of sauces.

But Jackie draws the line at eating dinner under FitBot's watchful eye.

OK, FitBot, we're going to have to turn you off

because we're going to eat our tea now,

-and I want you to leave us alone.

-Aww!

Goodbye, FitBot.

Stick together, come on.

Come on, Winnie.

-Let's go in the sea!

-Yeah, that'd be fun, wouldn't it?

In Blackburn, the experiment is winding down.

After hosting Tutorbot for two weeks,

mum Amanda has gained a fresh perspective

on helping her son Isaac with his learning delay.

I didn't understand the importance of play before we got the robot.

I just thought...

he's got loads of brothers and sisters,

they're all playing together, he doesn't need me.

I didn't know he needed me to sit with him and play with him,

and make him talk.

Don't go so fast, you could hurt yourself!

Today, Tutorbot will return to the lab...

Can the Megatron turn on in time to save the day?

No!

..placing Amanda back in charge of Isaac's extracurricular activities.

BLEEPING

-Is he going to...

-Here!

Watch out, he's going to stamp on all your guys.

No, you're kicking me!

Over the last two weeks,

she's achieved the best results mixing learning games

with normal play.

Sit down.

-Do you want me to sit?

-Yeah.

Yeah!

His speech has definitely improved.

It's clearer. Robot, squash them!

You squash, not me!

He's got more words than he had before.

I want this one.

Has it got a battery, this one?

That's not got batteries in, no.

He's just got more to say.

It's like he's become more confident with his speech.

-Put him in.

-That box?

The other day he just said, "I love you",

which I can count on one hand

the amount of times I've heard those words come out of his mouth.

From a technical point of view,

this experiment has been really interesting.

Yes, there have been some frustrations, but at the end,

it did work, and it did produce a benefit.

So this is a really good example of how robots can help.

-Say bye to it.

-Bye.

I feel a lot more hopeful that in the future,

he's going to catch up with everyone else.

-Ooh.

-OK.

Yeah, I'm very hopeful for his future.

In Hampshire...

LAUGHTER

..no-one will miss their robot dad more than five-year-old Zion.

How long did it take for Zion to jump on?

I'd say the minute you left.

So, I think that this one,

it's enabled Vin to parent

in a way that he wouldn't have been able to otherwise.

If he was just on a computer or on a phone or tablet,

there's no way he would have been able to interact with his kids

in this way.

Talking to the kids through the robot,

I think that's been the most successful part

of this whole experience.

It did feel in many ways like I was standing in front of them.

Tell me which way to go.

We had some really nice conversations through the robot

which I don't think we would have had in the same way

through video call or a phone call.

LAUGHTER

Hold on tight!

So you can still boss Dad around even though he's not here.

LAUGHTER

So, they're going to pack all this up now.

Is this our goodbye on the robot?

It is, we'll see you on the other side, I'm sure.

That sounds really ominous.

No, it's fine. I think I am going to really actually miss it.

You know what, it's funny,

at this moment when they're going to switch it off,

-I actually feel a little bit funny.

-So do I. Isn't that really strange?

But before Beam goes, Vin has one last important job for it...

..to help he and Angela celebrate their wedding anniversary.

So, Ange, today, obviously, is a special day in our house.

15 years ago,

life just took a turn and went in a different direction,

so I think if you look at the TV screen in front of you...

-OK.

-..any minute now here should be some people arriving on that screen

-or something.

-I can't believe that, I swear to God,

I can't believe you did that.

Vin's organised for a tribute band to perform Angela's favourite tune

live from Italy.

SMOOTH MUSIC

I tried my best to get Sade.

I can't even tell you how much I appreciate it, so lovely.

Our song, isn't it?

15 years, it's been quite a long time, but...

..here's to the next 15.

So, yeah. I'll see you soon, I love you so much.

-Lead the robot...

-Guide him to the door.

We've seen an amazing amount of trust and openness

towards these robots.

It's time for you to leave, mister.

We are opening our minds and our hearts to robots.

And that bodes very well for the future adoption of robots

in all parts of our society.

-Bye!

-Bye!

What we can see is that when robots work well,

people are incredibly positive and very happy to have the robots there.

When they start to go wrong,

it really exposes some of the issues that we have to fix

before the robots are ready for the production line.

The kids are definitely going to miss it,

we've kind of warmed to the robot.

Two weeks on, yeah, I see he has kind of just fitted in.

We'll miss him when he's not here.

Next time...

..can a robot make a difference to one autistic child?

Just a really exciting moment.

Neil risks leaving Linda alone with CareBot for the first time.

Neil's gone out and I can't even phone him if I need him.

Resume.

The Rockets weigh up their results.

LAUGHTER

Yep!

Suit fits.

And can robots really do our jobs?