Meanwhile here's a much simpler study in human / robot interaction. Something this simple draws empathy and aid from New Yorkers. The little simple "robots" have a flag asking for help in being pointed in the right direction to their destination. Passers by consistently lended a hand to the little 10" machines.Of course you've probably seen the Japanese, humanoid, female robots. One that was slated to work as a model on the catwalk. And another from back in 2006 at a robotics festival (I suppose that one is more along the lines of intelligent animatronics). These might be a little less freaky to me than the MIT robot above. But I suspect the closer they look to humans the harder it would be to anthropomorphize them.
