Abstract
In this minor dissertation, I provide an analysis of the significance of the concepts of sex and gender in robot body design. The theme is of significance since, as I will show, the representation of bodies is never innocent, but always is underpinned by certain assumptions about bodies. In other words, there are ethical implications of how we design robot bodies. I argue that human-centred design must be carefully tempered with an awareness that the bias of the designer can easily be embedded within the design of robot bodies, and that Simone de Beauvoir’s feminist approach is a fruitful way this can be done.
The work is presented in three chapters: the first where I set out six problems I identify with human-centred design, the second where I set out Beauvoir’s theoretical position and its problems; and the third, where I attempt to apply her work to an ethics of designing robot bodies, making suggestions about how such an ethics could look and showing how such an approach can mitigate at least some of the effects of the six problems identified. I suggest that, to successfully mitigate the problems of gender bias robot designer should adopt an approach that advocates for gender neutral design.