Tweenbots is a project developed by Kacie Kinzer to see how people interact when met with a small, cardboard robot along a busy New York City street. A tweenbot is a small cardboard robot with wheels that rolls along in a straight line with a flag attached to it, stating the destination in the city that it wants to go. Kacie developed the project to see how people would interact with and if they would help the tweenbot on its way toward its destination and rescue it if it got trapped. As stated on her Tweenbot website (1), "Tweenbots create an unexpected interaction, disrupting the narratives of
our everyday experience, and offering a fleeting and playful connection
in the context of the city street."
All tweenbots made it to their final destination unharmed, showing that people are empathetic and willing to help.
Another similar project by Kinzer was leaving a stationary robot in one place, with card attached to it to ring a phone number to let the tweenbot's family know that it was okay and where it was located at.
In the article by Jenny Williams on Wired (2), she wonders if people would still be willing to help if the tweenbot was not cute (with its big smile). In a marketing design and technology sense, this project shows that simplicity (and cuteness/vulnerability) helps the audience to understand the objective and shows that people willing to participate to help achieve the goal.
(1) Kinzer, Kacie. Tweenbots. http://www.tweenbots.com/ [2009]
(2) Williams, Jenny. Tweenbots: Help a Lost Robot Find its Way. http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2009/04/tweenbots-help/ [April 13, 2009].
All tweenbots made it to their final destination unharmed, showing that people are empathetic and willing to help.
Another similar project by Kinzer was leaving a stationary robot in one place, with card attached to it to ring a phone number to let the tweenbot's family know that it was okay and where it was located at.
In the article by Jenny Williams on Wired (2), she wonders if people would still be willing to help if the tweenbot was not cute (with its big smile). In a marketing design and technology sense, this project shows that simplicity (and cuteness/vulnerability) helps the audience to understand the objective and shows that people willing to participate to help achieve the goal.
(1) Kinzer, Kacie. Tweenbots. http://www.tweenbots.com/ [2009]
(2) Williams, Jenny. Tweenbots: Help a Lost Robot Find its Way. http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2009/04/tweenbots-help/ [April 13, 2009].
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