The four-legged walking robot SPOT introduced by Zer01ne in 2020 inspired creators in variety of ways. How will SPOT, reborn as a discipline and art such as urban design, HCI, and robotics, change the future?
SPOT as an infrastructure
IVAAIU CITY imagined year2030’s road and build a installation which SPOT is applied. It is a separate structure for SPOT, that is, an infrastructure. Made a road dedicated to SPOT and a wireless charging pad. As a team working in the fields of urban planning, architecture, electronic music, visual arts, and performance directing, they looked at SPOT from a macro-perspective as a city.
Interestingly, as infrastructure supplied for SPOT expanded, Spot can be an infrastructure of the city.
For example, SPOT is delivering the goods like quick service by using a its driveway and short travels can be made by using SPOT. These changes on mobility is certain, and if SPOT is supplied to buildings, it can also help to prevent accidents by responding quickly to fire situations. As if cloud services used by individuals and businesses have become commonplace thanks to data storage centers built around the world.
SPOT as a tool and friend
Creator Kim KeunWook, put a wearable device, a tail, on puppy robot SPOT. It’s perfectly suitable for project named after puppy robot. This tail is intuitive and cute at the same time, while also based on his research that studies interaction between human and computer HCI(Human Computer Interaction). He suggested the method human can communicate with SPOT.
For example, if we wave our hands to SPOT and SPOT raise their tails high and shake left to right quickly. If think of it as a machine connected by three hexahedral parts, it’s very dry, but if use it as an emotional tail, it opens possibilities in a new direction. As a friend who communicates with people beyond logical and artificial intelligence. Humans also name their favorite cars and try to talk to their voice secretary, which is a machine. Moreover, if puppy robot can communicate with human, you won’t feel awkward even if SPOT gets the title of a companion robot.
Homo Ludens, Gaming Robotics
Kim Ye-jin, a robot engineer and visual artist, developed a game where people play together with SPOT. It is an AR hide-and-seek game in which SPOT becomes the tagger and people hide behind obstacles that are only visible on the tablet screen. Through this, the interaction between robots and humans has expanded to play. While enjoying the game, the player naturally learns operating mechanisms such as the robot’s moving pattern and reaction speed. The fact that the 1:1 relationship has been increased to 1:N’s majority participation also makes the robot more familiar.
Game do not focus on difference between robot and human. The important things are focusing on how to play better and sharing same rules and taking their own roles. As Johann Huizinga defined, as a As Johann Huizinga defined, as a “playing human” humans will get closer and closer to robots.
Evolution of robot
Zer01ne creator evolved SPOT into new existence. As a future partner who travels around roads and buildings to make daily life convenient, waggles tail, communicates with humans, and makes memories while playing together. Creator’s eyes are looking towards future and future is created by their hands.
Above all, It makes the public to imagine the results. Even if not familiar with technologies and computer programming languages, you can take a step beyond the door that creator opened for you. The door opened by Zer01ne’s tech guild SPOT project also inspired imagination. Start with simple thing. How about changing tagger from SPOT to human in AR hide-and-seek game? Or how about working with SPOT at the office on weekdays and going for a drive together on weekends?
As the saying goes ‘Best to prepare for future is to make it.’, the future with SPOT will also be led by the person who imagines and creates it. So I hope that Zer01ne’s SPOT project can be the start of turning point
