--- title: "Researchers Pleasantly Surprised That Only One New Yorker Attacked Their Cute Trash-Collecting Robots" description: "New Yorkers aren't exactly known for being nice, which was why it was so shocking that only a few were rude to some trash robots in Greenwich Village." date: "2023-03-26" modified: "2023-03-26" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/trash-robots-new-york" categories: - "Robotics" - "Robots and Machines" tags: - "autonomous robots" - "new york city" - "robots" - "the digest" --- # Researchers Pleasantly Surprised That Only One New Yorker Attacked Their Cute Trash-Collecting Robots ![New Yorkers aren't exactly known for being nice, which was why it was so shocking that only a few were rude to some trash robots in Greenwich Village.]() *\Image: Cornell / Getty / Futurism\* ## I ❤️ New York New Yorkers aren't exactly known for being warm and fuzzy, so researchers were pleasantly surprised when only a few were rude to some trash-collecting robots deployed in Greenwich Village. The Cornell researchers behind the experiment — which featured robotic trash cans that zoomed about Astor Place — found that only *some* of the people they observed reacted violently or rudely. Presented at the [recent International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction](), this research aimed to see how people react now to "robots in public spaces," in order to "better understand the range of behaviors and norms that robots will need to manage autonomously in longer-term deployments," [wrote]() Fanjan Bu, Ilan Mandel, Wen-Ying Lee, and Wendy Ju, the paper's authors. Both trash bots had cameras attached to them, and in a video accompanying the research, a wide range of reactions can be observed, from the predictable middle-finger flip-off and assault on the robot that left it knocked over to — shockingly! — people feeding the robot trash and helping it out. At one point, a little girl is even seen walking up to the robot, blowing it a kiss, and then waving goodbye. ## Fuggedaboutit Overall, you could do a lot worse in the Big Apple. "In general, people welcomed the robots," the researchers wrote, and were observed "interacting with them avidly." After interviewing some of the people who interacted with the robots, the Cornell scientists said that their perceptions of the autonomous trash receptacles "varied widely." "Some interviewees treated the robot like a public good and were appreciative of its help," they continued. "Others thought the robots wanted trash, expecting the robot to be grateful for their 'contribution' after disposing of items." Perhaps even more surprisingly, however, the researchers found that when the robots "got stuck" on uneven surfaces, "people were keen to help the robots when they were in trouble," and some even "would proactively move chairs and obstacles to clear a path for the robots." All-in-all, people seemed to mostly be nice to the robots in this study — and the few jerks who were rude were, like with the rest of the New York populace, merely annoying outliers. **More on robots:** [*Study: Cute (and Non Human-Looking) Robots Will Subdue the Humans*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()