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Tweenbots project finds people really do care about robots, for now

by Donald Melanson posted Apr 13th 2009 at 1:16PM

We've already seen a fair bit of evidence suggesting that humans can quickly form bonds with robots, and it looks like ITP's Kacie Kinzer has now thrown some additional, adorable fodder into the mix. Apparently, she's spent the past few months sending a robot, or "Tweenbot," aimlessly wandering through New York's Washington Square Park in the hope that passers-by would take time from their busy day to help guide it from one corner of the park to the other -- or at least point it in the right direction. As you may be pleased to know, it turns out that plenty of folks were more than happy to help out the little bot, and it was even able to complete its journey in as little as little as 42 minutes with the help of 29 people. Of course, no one sends a smiling cardboard robot out into the wild without capturing a bit of video, so head on past the break for it, and hit up the link below for glimpse at some future Tweenbots.

[Via MAKE]

Continue reading Tweenbots project finds people really do care about robots, for now

Plink Jet makes beautiful music with dried up ink jets

by Paul Miller posted Dec 19th 2007 at 1:35AM

Despite our best attempts at trashing the planet in hopes that Al Gore will grow a beard again, we can't help but love repurposed electronics. The Plink Jet, spotted at NYU's ITP Winter Show 2007, uses the back-and-forth mechanisms out of four old ink jets to slide up and down four guitar strings, with various knob-controlled settings to control pitch and strumming patterns. The resulting noise is nice hybrid of robotic clicking and analog twang, but we hear HP charges a fortune for the strings.

Gallery: Plink Jet makes beautiful music with dried up ink jets

Single White Android just wants to hang out

by Paul Miller posted Dec 18th 2007 at 3:55PM

There was a lot of fun stuff at this year's ITP Winter Show, but Single White Android stole our hearts with his dejected expressions, glowing belly and brightly-lit excitability. Oh, and saran wrap, lots of saran wrap. The bot isn't terribly complicated, his belly glows red when he wants you to touch it, and when you do he lights up with joy. Hey, it's the little things, and while SWA might not be giving biped humanoids a run for research dollars anytime soon, he certainly managed to elicit some emotion from his audience.

Gallery: Single White Android just wants to hang out

The "Is our machines learning?" machine 2.0 test-taking bot

by Paul Miller posted Dec 18th 2007 at 12:59PM

We never liked taking tests in a general sense, but there was always something fun about filling in the answers with that trusty No. 2 of ours. The "Is our machines learning?" bot, shown off at the 2007 NYU ITP Winter Show, takes over that delicious task but still leaves humans with the chore of answering the questions remotely over the internets. The bot's name is a not-so-subtle jab at President Bush's grammar skills, but if we told you more we might all be in danger of some educatin', and the world doesn't need any more of that!

NYU shows its stuff at the Winter 2006 ITP

by Darren Murph posted Dec 20th 2006 at 1:12AM

When hordes of folks gather 'round to show off various forms of gadgetry or design-influenced niceties, we can't help but stare, and while we weren't able to attend NYU's Winter 2006 ITP show like we were last year (and the year before), we were there in spirit, and now we're bringing you the pics. While there's far too much to cover here, a few highlights included the solar (iPod-charging) bikini, which gave the fellas an excellent excuse to gander at such a fanciful article of clothing, the "Botanicallss" plant that lets you know when it needs some lovin', a 3D display known only as the "Orb," and a MIDI-enabled guitar pick. Of course, the LED-infused stones that lit up differently based on arrangement, child-proof rendition of the iRocker music chair, and the motion-activated lamps were all showstoppers as well. So if you're craving a glimpse into the hereafter, be sure to hit the links below to see just how bright (and zany) the not-so-distant future is.

[Via MAKE]