Meet Fred. (He’s the one on the left.) He’s a robot made by the company Engineered Arts. Most robots do simple tasks, like putting together parts in factories. Fred can do something more complex—he can interact with people. 

Fred’s head contains a computer program that enables him to respond to the world around him. Cameras and sensors allow him to recognize facial cues. That means Fred can tell if a person is feeling happy, angry, or sad. The robot then reacts accordingly. For example, he frowns if a person looks sad.

Most Engineered Arts robots are used in museums and theme parks. Some, like Fred, are also used in experiments to test how people respond emotionally to robots. How would you respond to Fred?