Give Way to Those in a Hurry
■ First come, first served was the robot's idea of fairness
Hakobukun boarded the elevator, and the doors began to close. Just then Dr. Tanaka rushed in, pushing a stretcher carrying a patient. The elevator was full of Hakobukun. "I was here first. It is my turn," Hakobukun replied. Whoever boards first rides first. That rule is not wrong in itself, but here it helps no one.
■ The elevator becomes something robots and emergencies compete for
Once robots can ride elevators on their own, things get more convenient—but they also end up competing with emergency patients and stretchers for the same car. For a patient whose condition has suddenly worsened, every second of waiting matters. A robot has no reason to hurry. It cannot even tell whether someone is in a hurry unless it is taught.
■ Conclusion: Put the rule for giving way in place before it's needed
Oshiro held the door by hand, and Hakobukun backed out slowly. A new rule was added: "Emergencies and stretchers: give way." But as Oshiro said, this was something it should have known beforehand. Agree with the hospital in advance on a rule to yield to people in a hurry rather than going by boarding order, and build it into the robot's behavior. Staff holding the door to help should be the last resort.
How a robot gives way is too late to teach on the spot.
