April 22, 2009

Twinbots Seek Human Help

Leave a robot in the NE corner of Washington Square Park and see if anyone will help it get to the SW corner. That was the idea behind the Tweenbots, a race of human dependent robots that engage help from wandering pedestrians. They were made out of cardboard, in case they got eaten by a wandering dog or stomped upon. Moving in a straight line at a constant speed, they carried a flag with their destination. Inventor/artist Kacie Kinzer kept a hidden camera to see if they got the help they sought.

Recorded over several months, the cute little bots were rescued when needed and none were ever lost or damaged. One man even told it, "You can't go that way, it's toward the road." We are impressed with the study and are wondering, had the Tweenbot been a homeless person or lost child, would the same results occur?

Via Tweenbots