Given that many robots are designed for physical interaction with humans -- for instance those used in therapy or clinical settings -- the texture of the robot body is an important consideration.

Why robots tend to be white Given the diversity of people they will be exposed to, why does Kaspar, designed to interact with children with autism, have rubber skin that resembles a white person’s?

The next generation of soft robots might be able to hide in plain sight, thanks to a newly developed, camouflaging skin that can rapidly transform from a flat silicone sheet to a 3D shape.

Robot designers come from all corners of the world, Bartneck pointed out, yet they still idealize white robots. “Human-shaped robots should represent the diversity of humans,” Bartneck told ...

The study subjects–the majority of whom identified as white–were also faster to refrain from shooting unarmed white humans and robots than unarmed black figures.