GVU Technical Report Number: GIT-GVU-09-04

Title: An Ethical Adaptor: Behavioral Modification Derived from Moral Emotions

Authors: Ronald C. Arkin, Patrick Ulam

Abstract:This paper presents the motivation, basis and a prototype implementation of an ethical adaptor capable of using a moral affective function, guilt, as a basis for altering a robot’s ongoing behavior. While the research is illustrated in the context of the battlefield, the methods described are believed generalizable to other domains such as eldercare and are potentially extensible to a broader class of moral emotions, including compassion and empathy.