There are an unbelievable amount of people that are homeless. We never know how they end up as homeless, but seeing them on the street, it makes me sad. But when I read an article like, Professional Beggars.... , I feel really abused and question myself, " is that person REALLY homeless... 85% huuuuhh?"
You all might be thinking, what does that have to do with this cute robot, so let me tell you. First, I'll explain what that invention is. That white spherical robot is called Don-8r, it is a robot that goes out asking for donations and collecting change from people. This robot is used to raise money for charity.
These robots are like professional solicitors, they are programed with extreme politeness, persistence, and performance. They compete with homeless, and street performers. These robots are like professional beggars, because they perform well and tell the sappiest stories to make the audience feel bad, which also makes them very effective. They are not like kids or regular solicitors, because they can be shameless and not worry about being rejected or ignored.
I think these professional begging robots are an awesome idea. They are amazing because they are asking for money for a good cause instead of using it to buy booze and drugs like normal bums. These robots are also a great idea because it spares people the small amount of guilt they get when turning down another human being for a donation. I do think that a robot telling you a sappy story is a little over the top though. I think the average person would prefer to hear a story from a human because facial expressions and tone of voice are key story telling musts.
ReplyDeleteI really like the idea of professional begging robots because they are for a good cause. It breaks my heart to see homeless people but then it's obvious that some go and buy alcohol or drugs with the money they get on the streets. This puts homeless people in competition with the robots because a person is more likely to give the robot money rather than the homeless guy holding a sign saying "I need money to buy booze" but I think it is a good idea because it might motivate them to go and get a job.
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