people and balloon-y bots say 'hello'
we built inflatable creatures and put them in public spaces to see what would happen. what happened was that people said hello to them.
the robots -- if you can call them that -- were simple pneumatic things. air pumps and valves and soft fabric skins. they would inflate and deflate in rhythms that made them look like they were breathing, nodding, turning to face you. the animation principles were borrowed from cartoon movement. squash and stretch. anticipation. follow-through.
except these weren't on screens. they were standing on street corners, bobbing gently in the wind, responding to the presence of passersby with slow, curious movements.
i was interested in the gap between what people expect robots to be and what these were. people expect metal, precision, threat. what they got was something soft and a bit silly. balloon creatures that seemed genuinely pleased to see them.
children were the least surprised. they walked up and started talking immediately, as though this was obviously how the world works. adults took longer. they circled, looked for cameras, checked if it was a trick. then they waved.
the most interesting technology is the kind that makes you feel like a child again. not impressed. just delighted.