Robots - the new linguistic informants?

Abstract

Many have compared real robots with stars like HAL9000 and R2D2. Engineers and others who design such machines like to be reminded of movie heroes. As a result, while science fiction affects robotics, cognitive science also comes under the influence of the world of films. Below, this view is supplemented by taking the perspective of a person watcher. What is learned from observing real robots? What does this imply for both folk views of language and those of trained linguists?