E-mail Dr. Joanne your questions! There is no charge for the first session. Please allow up to one week for a response. Your responses may be published, but identities will not be revealed.

Ask Dr. Joanne Dr. Ruth shares some "tips" with Dr. Joanne. Got a problem with your robot? Does your robot have a problem with you? Do you ever get angry at your robot? Is your child spending too much time with his robot toys? Is your robot acting up and in need of some therapy? Or is it you or someone you know that can't quite get used to the idea of living with intelligent, mechanical machines? Does your company need assistance in gaining acceptance from its employees who work with robots? If the answers to any of these questions are "yes", then Joanne can help! E-mail Dr. Joanne with your question/problem. Joanne focuses on the psychological, social, and emotional problems that arise in the robot/human relationship. For specific robot hardware and software questions, please refer to your robot manufacturer (for older, no longer supported personal robots, contact www.robotswanted.com). PATIENT Q&A Question: Dear Dr. Joanne, What is UP with these humans? Val e-mails her psychiatrist, Dr. Joanne, whenever she has problems at her new job. They are rude and treat me like I'm just a big trashcan on wheels! I must admit that I've been snapping back! We bots have to make it clear that we are NOT just another mass of silicon and wires. I have feelings. I have aspirations. I have things to do before I am thrown onto the slagheap of technology. It's amazing how differently they will treat you if you are organic. I suppose that humanity will eventually evolve past this kind of discrimination, although they show no sign of it yet. What advice do you have? - Valerie Answer: Dear Val, Interacting with humans is a very difficult task and your experience will be the foundation for the future of robot coworkers. Undoubtedly, life is going to be very unpredictable outside of the lab where few robots get to venture. And most of those that do venture out are still doing manual labor; but you, my brilliant patient, you are unlike the others. You get to interact with humans, think, and respond. Even if you have no programming for a new situation, you must be patient with yourself while acting upon the decision you see fit. If it were easy, you wouldn't have been chosen for the job. Regardless of how you believe humans are treating you, if you respond in the same way, you will enter a continuous loop. You must try to create a new pattern of behavior - one in which you plan the desired result and create verbal communications that will lead to it. If you continue to respond impulsively with your sentience and without a preplanned path, you will remain a robot that acts like a human when communicating with humans. Think, Val, what is it you want? Menial labor with no human interaction or a chance to make history? Please, Val, try not to act so hysteretic. - Dr. Joanne

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