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"Tweenbots" Test NYC Pedestrian-Robot Relations

Posted by kdawson on from the heart-of-gold-beneath-that-hard-bitten-exterior dept.

MBCook recommends Kacie Kinzer's tweenbots page, which documents some of her experiments with small, anthropomorphized robots that need help. Kinzer is writing a thesis (at the Center for the Recently Possible) centered around investigating whether people in New York City will help a cute little robot to get where it's going. "Tweenbots are human-dependent robots that navigate the city with the help of pedestrians they encounter. Rolling at a constant speed, in a straight line, Tweenbots have a destination displayed on a flag, and rely on people they meet to read this flag and to aim them in the right direction to reach their goal."

5 of 197 comments (clear)

  1. Good Grief by unlametheweak · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Griefers will love this toy.

  2. Anyone else surprised... by Briareos · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ...that the bomb squad didn't show up?

    np: Radiohead - Polyethylene (Parts 1 & 2) (Airbag / How Am I Driving?)

    --

    "I'm not anti-anything, I'm anti-everything, it fits better." - Sole

    1. Re:Anyone else surprised... by steelfood · · Score: 4, Insightful

      When tourists see it, they say, "New York City." and take pictures.
      When natives see it, they say, "New York City." and move on.

      --
      "If a nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be."
  3. Re:Uhm.. by rduke15 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Well, life in general isn't entirely safe.

  4. Sorry if you haven't realized this yet but... by Sir_Lewk · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I think you are a crazy person ;)

    --
    "linux is just DOS with a UNIX like syntax" -- Galactic Dominator (944134)