“… a social interface may be a truly universal interface”
-Cynthia Breazeal
The reason we care about social robots is because they are becoming a part of our lives. Robots are entering social environments every day, and they are increasingly called upon to interact with people with no knowledge of computer science or robotics. Some applications of robotics require such interactions (robot caregivers, entertainers, companions, etc.), while for others it would be nice to have. In order for robots to effectively interact with non-expert users, they must adopt communication and interaction techniques that normal people (not that roboticists are abnormal!) easily understand. Social rules provide a good foundation for these types of interactions, as they are what humans use in real life.