The Tweenbot Experiment

[Stiker]

Fellow LS member posted this earlier in our forums:

Gizmodo - NYU Student Conducts Most Adorable Robot Experiment Ever - Tweenbot

The tweenbot, a cardboard-bodied, cheerful little bugger, is equipped with a flag stating its intended destination. Since it can only move forward, it depends on the kindness of strangers to guide it and remove obstacles.

Tisch School of the Arts student Kacie Kinzer created the tweenbot as a kind of art experiment. In her words:

I wondered: could a human-like object traverse sidewalks and streets along with us, and in so doing, create a narrative about our relationship to space and our willingness to interact with what we find in it? More importantly, how could our actions be seen within a larger context of human connection that emerges from the complexity of the city itself? To answer these questions, I built robots.

In New York City, we might expect the smiley-faced tweenbot to be stabbed, stomped, mugged, or covered in graffiti, but every single one of the journeys was completed without a hitch. Pedestrians would stop and help the little guy when he was trapped against a curb or headed into traffic, and point him in the right direction.

I don't know about you guys, but I like to think this project says more about the state of our nation than that stupid negative-nancy stock market. It's just about the warmest, fuzziest thing I've seen since the last Muppet movie.

I must say this video and article has restored my faith in humanity quite a bit. Pretty cool social experiment.

[AoE]

NYU's like around the safest part of NYC. I wanna see them take that same bot to the South Bronx and have it get back to NYU and see if nothin happens to it.

[Shalyn]

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SO CUTE!

[Odon]

I love my school.

[Deftscythe]

I wonder if the experiment would've turned out differently if the robot was not cute.

[Dimmauk]

I wonder if the experiment would've turned out differently if the robot was not cute.

Or a different color?

[SephYuyX]

Just because a few people are helpful, doesnt mean everyone is helpful.
Just because a few people are asses, doesnt mean everyone is an ass.

[Shalyn]

Or a different color?

I chuckled.

[baralai80]

NYU contributing to humanity with dumb robots and daily weird protests in union square.

[Hercule]

crazy

[Maguspk]

Cool story