Tweenbots
Kacie Kinzer’s thesis relies on data obtained by watching how people interact with small helpless robots.
“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.
Kacie Kinzer's Tweenbot
The journey the Tweenbots take each time they are released in the city becomes a story of people’s willingness to engage with a creature that mirrors human characteristics of vulnerability, of being lost, and of having intention without the means of achieving its goal alone.”
So what happened to the little robot?
Mission 1: Get from the Northwest to the Southwest Corner of Washington Square Park, New York
Elapsed Time: 42 minutes
Number of people who intervened: 29
There are other pictures, a video of the bot in action, and a sneak peek at some new bots on the Tweenbots webpage, so be sure to head over there and sign up for information on upcoming projects.
29 people stopped to pay attention, and to help something that was helpless along the way.
Maybe there’s still hope for us after all.
Tags: 2009, human characteristics, journey, Kacie Kinzer, New York, robots, thesis, vulnerability, washington square park